UC-NRLF 


THE  CATHOLIC  UNIVERSITY  OF  AMERICA 
STUDIES  IN  AMERICAN  CHURCH  HISTORY 

Vol.  Ill 


SOCIETY  FOR  THE  PROPAGATION  OF  THE  FAITH 
Its  Foundation,  Organization  and  Success 


(1822-1922) 


By 

EDWARD  JOHN  HICKEY,  S.T.B.,  M.B.A.  (Harvard) 


A  DISSERTATION 

SUBMITTED  TO  THE  FACULTY  OP  PHILOSOPHY  OF  THE  CATHOLIC 
UNIVERSITY  OP  AMERICA  IN  PARTIAL  FULFILMENT  OF  THE 

REQUIREMENTS  FOR  THE 
DEGREE  OF  DOCTOR  OF  PHILOSOPHY 


1922 


GIFT  OF 


THE  CATHOLIC  UNIVERSITY  OF  AMERICA 
STUDIES  IN  AMERICAN  CHURCH  HISTORY 

Vol.  Ill 


THE  SOCIETY  FOR  THE  PROPAGATION  OF  THE  FAITH 
Its  Foundation,  Organization  and  Success 

(1822-1922) 


By 
EDWARD  JOHN  RICKEY,  S.T.B.,  M.B.A.  (Harvard) 

A  DISSERTATION 

SUBMITTED  TO  THE  FACULTY  OF  PHILOSOPHY  OF  THE  CATHOLIC 
UNIVERSITY  OF  AMERICA  IN  PARTIAL  FULFILMENT  OF  THE 

REQUIREMENTS  FOR  THE 
DEGREE  OF  DOCTOR  OF  PHILOSOPHY 


1922 


r   <x  / 


Nihil  Obstat. 

t  THOMAS  J.   SHAHAN, 

Censor  Deputatus. 
Imprimatur. 

t  MICHAEL  J.  CURLEY, 

Archiepiscopus  Baltimorensis. 
Baltimorae,  die  XXVI  Maii,  1922. 


Copyright  1922,  by  Edward  J.  Hickey. 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Preface    v 

Chapter  I.          The  Historical  Background   1 

Chapter  II.        The  Foundation  of  the  Society  . . 10 

Chapter  III.      The  Organization  of  the  Society 26 

Chapter  IV.       The  Administration  of  the  Society  ....  46 

Chapter  V.         Ecclesiastical  and  Lay  Cooperation ....  61 

Chapter  VI.      The  Growth  of  the  Society 109 

Chapter  VII.     The  Success  of  the  Society 130 

Chapter  VIII.  Allied  and  Subordinate  Activities 154 

Chapter  IX.       Critical  Essay  on  the  Sources 163 

Conclusion    183 

Appendix    187 


4828 


PREFACE 

The  American  Church  History  Seminar  at  the  Catholic 
University  of  America  is  not  principally  an  informational 
course  of  study  but  a  training  ground  in  historical  research 
by  personal  work  on  the  part  of  the  student  guided  by 
the  professor.  The  work  done  comprises  an  introduction  to 
the  study  of  ecclesiastical  history  together  with  a  special  sub- 
ject of  research  for  each  student.  In  this  seminar  the  sources 
and  materials  for  the  study  of  American  Chureh  history 
necessarily  receive  special  attention. 

During  my  first  year  at  the  University,  Dr.  Guilday  drew 
my  attention  to  the  study  of  those  Foreign  Mission  societies 
which  had  so  liberally  contributed  to  the  Church  of  the  United 
States,  and  to  their  published  collections  of  sources  which  were 
rich  in  historical  material  for  our  Church. 

Since  1915,  the  Director  of  the  Seminar  has  had  the  plan 
in  mind  of  encouraging  some  of  the  students  to  devote  them- 
selves to  a  study  of  these  published  collections,  and  also 
to  research-study  in  the  archives  of  these  Societies.  His  re- 
search year  in  the  Archives  of  Propaganda  impressed  upon 
him  the  necessity  of  similar  researches  in  the  Archives  of  the 
Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  of  Lyons  and 
Paris,  and  in  those  of  the  Leopoldine  Association  of  Vienna 
and  the  Ludwig-Missionsverein  of  Munich. 

As  a  member  of  the  Seminar  during  the  scholastic  year 
(1919-1920),  and  as  Dr.  Guilday 's  companion  in  Europe  dur- 
ing the  long  vacation  of  1920,  I  had  splendid  opportunities 
of  following  out  his  plan.  Before  departing,  I  consulted  Mgr. 
Freri,  the  American  Delegate  of  the  Society  for  the  Propa- 
gation of  the  Faith.  I  found  him  in  cordial  sympathy  with 
the  project,  and  he  provided  me  with  a  letter  to  M.  Alex- 
andre  Guasco,  the  General  Secretary  of  the  Central  Council  at 
Paris.  I  called  upon  M.  Guasco  in  June,  1920,  and  was 


vi  Preface 

received  with  his  customary  urbanity.  He  permitted  me  In 
study  in  the  office  of  the  Central  Council  and  facilitated  my 
work  with  his  direction  which  was  of  special  value  by  virtue 
of  his  long  acquaintance  with  the  activities  of  the  Society. 

The  Annales  de  la  Propagation  de  la  Foi,  which  have  been 
published  since  the  foundation  of  the  Society  in  1822,  contain 
a  very  extensive  collection  of  letters  dealing  with  the  Church 
in  the  United  States.  It  was  quite  natural  that  these  pub- 
lished documents  should  be  studied  first;  and  this  study  im- 
pressed upon  me  the  fact  that  the  unpublished  material  for 
any  diocese  in  the  United  States  or,  indeed,  for  all  the  dioceses, 
was  much  more  vast  than  scholars  realize.  At  an  early  date 
I  expressed  this  conviction  to  the  General  Secretary,  but  owing 
to  various  difficulties  which  arose  I  did  not  succeed  in  obtain- 
ing access  to  the  unpublished  documents  until  after  the  New 
Year,  1921. 

Once  begun  on  the  work  of  sifting  all  this  unpublished  ma- 
terial, the  subject  became  more  difficult  of  treatment ;  for  no 
one  scholar  could  copy  all  the  correspondence  of  the  American 
bishops  to  the  Society  during  the  last  hundred  years.  It 
would  take  an  experienced  secretary  at  least  three  years  to 
copy  all  this  material. 

At  first  the  dossiers  containing  the  letters  from  the  Ameri- 
can dioceses  were  studied  in  alphabetical  order.  Later,  this 
plan  was  abandoned  in  favor  of  the  dossiers  containing  the 
letters  from  the  fourteen  American  archdioceses,  together 
with  those  from  other  dioceses  evidently  of  considerable  im- 
portance, either  by  virtue  of  their  connection  with  the  foun- 
dation of  the  Society  or  the  length  of  years  in  which  they 
had  received  aid  from  the  Society,  or  on  account  of  the  con- 
spicuous importance  of  some  of  their  bishops. 

Later,  it  developed  that  the  correspondence  from  America 
before  the  years  1832-1838  did  not  exist  in  the  Paris  Archives. 
Hence  the  necessity  arose  of  visiting  Lyons  with  the  hope  of 
finding  this  material  there.  Owing  to  the  danger  that  these 
archives  would  be  confiscated  by  the  Government  at  the  time 
of  the  Associations  Cultuelles  (1906),  all  the  documents  had 


Preface  vii 

been,  packed  in  cases  and  shipped  to  Fribourg,  Switzerland, 
where  they  still  remained. 

With  gracious  co-operation,  M.  Valerian  Groffier,  General 
Secretary  of  the  Central  Council  of  Lyons,  was  kind  enough 
to  go  to  Fribourg  for  the  express  purpose  of  finding  this 
material  for  my  thesis.  The  result  was  that  I  have  the  most 
important  documents  from  1822  to  1838,  which  have  never 
been  published  in  the  Annales.  Monseigiieur  Bechetoille, 
President  of  the  Central  Council  of  Lyons,  gave  me  copies  of 
valuable  documents  concerning  Pauline-Marie  Jaricot  and  the 
foundation  of  the  Society. 

After  these  letters  had  been  procured,  however,  it  be- 
came evident  that  additional  material  might  be  located  in 
the  archives  of  the  Superior  Council.  These  archives  disap- 
peared in  the  Revolution  of  1830,  and  no  trace  of  them  re- 
mains. In  order  clearly  to  establish  the  relationship  between 
the  Society  and  the  Sacred  Congregation  de  Propaganda  Fide 
it  was  necessary  to  visit  Rome  where  Cardinal  Van  Rossum, 
the  Prefect  of  the  Congregation,  made  it  possible  for  me  to 
procure  all  the  important  data  on  this  point. 

From  the  outset,  the  plan  had  been  to  treat  the  Society's 
foundation,  organization,  administration  and  accomplish- 
ments in  the  world  in  an  introductory  chapter,  and  to  confine 
to  the  body  of  the  work  the  story  of  those  results  which  could 
be  traced  to  the  financial  aid  the  Society  had  given  to  the 
dioceses  of  the  United  States.  The  large  number  of  dioceses 
which  had  received  assistance  from  the  Society  and  the  length 
of  years  over  which  this  assistance  was  distributed,  together 
with  the  impossibility  of  transcribing  all  the  documents  re- 
garding these  dioceses  rendered  this  plan  far  too  extensive. 
Some  limitation  had  to  be  devised.  A  geographical  limitation 
was  not  satisfactory,  because  there  could  be  very  little  con- 
nection between  the  story  of  the  foundation  of  the  Society 
and  its  results  in  any  restricted  part  of  the  United  States. 
A  limit  in  time  also  involved  a  lack  of  proportion  in  the  work, 
since  there  was  a  dearth  of  material  for  some  dioceses  and  a 


viii  Preface 

large  quantity  for  others.  A  suitable  terminus  ad  quern 
might  necessitate  the  selection  of  the  First  Plenary  Council 
of  Baltimore  (1852),  but  this  would  require  too  lengthy  a 
work  for  a  doctoral  dissertation.  Even  the  arbitrary  time 
limit  of  the  first  ten  years  involved  many  of  these  difficulties. 

It  was  found  necessary,  before  treating  the  results  of  the 
Society's  contribution  to  America,  to  endeavor  critically  to 
clear  up  the  mooted  questions  connected  with  the  foundation 
of  the  Society.  In  addition  to  this,  its  end,  its  means,  its 
organization,  its  development  through  the  encouragement  and 
cooperation  of  the  Holy  See  and  the  Episcopate,  its  accom- 
plishments in  evangelization,  in  education  and  in  works  of 
charity,  and  its  services  to  civilization  and  science,  together 
with  its  allied  activities,  required  a  great  deal  of  detailed 
exposition. 

Moreover,  coming  as  it  does,  in  the  centenary  year  of  the 
Society,  it  was  found  desirable  to  give  in  these  pages  a  general 
conspectus  of  the  Society's  accomplishments  in  the  five  con- 
tinents of  the  world,  and  to  postpone  until  later  the  story  of 
its  contribution  to  the  American  Church. 

Grateful  acknowledgment  is  due  to  Rev.  Dr.  Peter  Guil- 
day,  my  major  professor,  to  whom  I  owe  my  historical  train- 
ing. It  was  only  by  virtue  of  his  generous  counsel,  his 
direction  and  assistance,  that  I  was  enabled  to  complete  this 
essay. 

Special  thanks  are  due  to  Monsignor  Freri,  whose 
kind  encouragement  and  cooperation  were  necessary  at  every 
stage  of  the  research  and  the  composition. 

In  Paris  the  Central  Council  of  the  Society  has  for  some 
forty  years  been  under  the  direction  of  M.  Alexandre 
Guasco,  the  General  Secretary.  Undoubtedly,  this  gentleman 
is  better  acquainted  with  every  detail  in  connection  with  the 
history  of  this  Society  than  any  man  living.  After  all  these 
years  of  self-sacrificing  service  to  the  missionary  cause,  dur- 
ing which  he  has  published  a  number  of  books  on  the  sub- 
ject, M.  Guasco  was  the  one  person  capable  of  directing  this 
work.  No  doubt  I  caused  a  considerable  amount  of  labor  and 


Preface  ix 

worry  to  M.  Guasco  by  my  many  months  of  work  in  his 
office.  In  the  archives  there  were  so  many  documents  which 
had  to  be  located  and  examined  that  a  great  deal  of  labor 
was  involved.  For  all  his  courtesy  I  am  deeply  grateful. 

Monseigneur  Odelin,  the  President  of  the  Central  Council 
of  Paris,  as  well  as  M.  L.  Geliner,  M.  Huffer  and  the  Cure 
of  St.  Sulpice,  who  are  members  of  this  Council,  are  also 
deserving  of  my  thanks. 

A  very  particular  expression  of  appreciation  is  due  to 
Bishop  Alfred  Baudrillart,  Rector  of  the  Institut  Catholique 
de  Paris,  Membre  de  1'Academie,  who  assisted  me  in  gaining 
admission  to  the  Society 's  archives ;  also  to  M.  Louis  Veuillot, 
who  was  ever  ready  and  eager  to  aid  me  in  any  way  in  his 
power.  The  mere  statement  that  I  was  living  with  the  Veuillot 
family  was  often  sufficient  endorsement  to  obtain  special  con- 
sideration in  my  researches.  M.  Gaston  Lacoin  displayed  a 
marked  interest  in  the  work  and  often  aided  it  by  his  wise 
direction. 

Professor  Berger,  of  the  ficole  des  Chartes,  Membre  de 
I'lnstitut,  and  the  Secretary  of  the  American  Legation,  and 
Mr.  Hearn,  head  of  the  activities  of  the  Knights  of  Columbus 
in  France,  aided  me  by  their  interest  in  the  work. 

Mile.  Violette  Louzier,  who  for  ten  months  labored  consci- 
entiously in  the  Archives  of  the  Society  in  Paris  and  Lyons 
in  translating  and  transcribing  documents,  is  deserving  of 
very  special  gratitude ;  her  proficiency  in  English  proved  most 
helpful. 

At  Rome  Monsignor  O'Hern,  Rector  of  the  American 
College,  took  a  cordial  interest  in  my  work.  He  advised  me 
to  consult  Father  Thomas  Hughes,  S.  J.,  who  has  labored  for 
some  twenty  years  in  the  Roman  Archives,  and  also  to  obtain 
an  audience  with  Cardinal  Van  Rossum.  The  Cardinal  Pre- 
fect of  Propaganda  listened  very  attentively  to  my  request 
and  only  desired  to  be  reassured  in  respect  to  my  motive. 
Being  satisfied  with  my  purpose,  he  referred  me  to  the  Archiv- 
ists of  Propaganda,  and  I  was  permitted  to  study  in  the 
archives,  although  they  were  closed  for  the  summer,  and  also 


x  Preface 

to  have  photographed  or  copied  any  documents  I  might  desire, 
after  my  departure.  I  wish  to  express  my  heartfelt  gratitude 
to  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Van  Rossum  for  his  courtesy  and 
kindness  in  thus  permitting  me  to  obtain  access  to  much 
valuable  source-material. 

Father  Andre  assisted  me  in  obtaining  information,  and 
Father  Havey,  Rector  of  the  Sulpician  Seminary  at  Washing- 
ton, has  aided  me  constantly  by  his  counsel  and  advice. 

In  Louvain,  Father  De  Ghellink,  Librarian  of  the  Jesuit 
House  of  Study,  very  kindly  put  all  the  books  and  collections 
in  the  library  at  my  disposal.  In  Paris,  Father  Foley,  C.  M., 
arranged  for  me  to  have  access  to  the  Annales  de  la  Congre- 
gation de  la  Mission. 

I  have  the  pleasure  of  adding  a  word  here  to  express  my 
sincere  gratitude  to  the  professors  of  the  Catholic  University 
of  America  for  their  direction  in  my  graduate  work. 


CHAPTER  I 

THE  HISTORICAL  BACKGROUND 

The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  may  be  de- 
fined as  an  organization  authorized  by  the  Church  for  the 
purpose  of  maintaining  and  developing  the  Catholic  Missions 
which  have  been  established  among  non-Catholics  throughout 
the  world. 

The  object  of  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 
is  as  old  as  the  Church  itself.  In  its  actual  form,  however, 
the  great  French  organization  is  but  one  hundred  years  old. 
In  an  account  written  some  eighty  years  ago  by  Frederic 
Ozanam,  who  was  at  that  time  the  Editor  of  the  Society's 
Annales,  we  read  that  the  beginnings  of  the  "Oeuvre  de  la 
Propagation  de  la  Foi"  were,  like  so  many  Christian  insti- 
tutions, insignificant  and  obscure.  Divine  Providence, 
Ozanam  says,  often  so  prepares  these  beginnings  that  no  one 
person  can  claim  authorship  and  no  human  name  receive  the 
glory,  since  "He  conceals  and  distributes  their  sources  like 
those  of  large  rivers  of  which  it  cannot  be  told  from  what 
stream  they  flow. ' '  One  of  the  chief  difficulties  in  describing 
the  origin  of  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  is 
the  problem  of  ascertaining  to  whom,  among  those  who  had 
an  actual  share  in  its  foundation,  the  major  portion  of  the 
credit  should  be  given. 


1.  Notice  sur  I'Oeuvre  la  Propagation  de  la  Foi,  in  the  Melanges 
of  FREDERIC  OZANAM,  t.  II,  pp.  23-26,  Paris  1872;  Cf.  Annales,  t. 
XLIV  (1872),  pp.  157-166;  t.  LII  pp.  147-153;  FRERI,  The  Society 
for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  and  the  Catholic  Missions.  New  York, 
1912,  p.  5;  FRERI,  The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  and 
the  Catholic  Missions  in  Annals,  vol.  LXXXV,  March-April,  1922, 
p.  44.  HENRION,  Histoire  Generale  des  Missions  Catholiques,  t.  II,  pt. 
ii,  pp.  675,  Lyons,  1850. 

LOUVET,    Les    Missions    Catholiques    au    XIX    Siecle    p.    la,    Lyons, 
Paris,    1894. 


.     •     •*• 

. 

2  The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

As  the  years  went  by  during  the  century  of  the  Society's 
activity  (1822-1922),  the  end  and  the  purposes  of  the  work 
naturally  assumed  broader  and  at  the  same  time  more  de- 
tailed outlines.  This  fact  makes  it  somewhat  difficult  to 
define  in  a  few  words  the  purpose  of  the  Society.  For 
example,  in  the  original  rules  of  1822,  we  find  the  object 
of  the  Society  defined  as  follows:  "It  has  for  its  object 
to  extend  the  Society  of  the  Catholic  faithful  by  aiding,  by 
all  the  means  in  its  power,  the  missionaries  entrusted  with 
spreading  the  light  of  the  Faith  in  the  foreign  nations  of  the 
world. ' '  In  the  revised  rules  of  1834  we  read  that  the  pur- 
pose of  the  Society  is  given  as  assistance  by  prayer  and  alms 
to  Catholic  missionaries  entrusted  with  the  preaching  of  the 
Gospel  in  the  lands  "beyond  the  seas." 

To  reach  a  definition  of  strict  accuracy  special  prominence 
must  be  given  to  the  means  which  have  been  used  from  the 
beginning  of  the  Society:  namely,  prayer  and  the  offerings 
of  the  faithful  in  every  part  of  the  world.  The  definition  of 
the  Society,  which  finds  a  permanent  place  in  its  official  pub- 
lications, is  as  follows: 

I/Oeuvre  do  la  Propagation  de  la  Foi  est  une  oeuvre  catholique 
ayant  pour  but  d 'aider,  par  la  priere  et  les  offrandes  des  fideles,  au 
maintien  et  au  developpement  des  missions  catholiques  dans  les  pays 
h6r6tiques,  schismatiques,  et  infideles.4 

The  birthday  for  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the 
Faith  was  May  3,  1822.  Consequently,  this  present  year 
chronicles  the  rounding-out  of  a  century  of  successful  activity 
on  the  part  of  the  Society. 


2.  Extrait   du   Reglement   de    I' Association   de    la   Propagation   de 
la  Foi  in  the  Annales,  t.  I,  fasc.  iii,'p.  30;  ibid  t.  I,  fasc.  VI,  p.  93. 

3.  Supplement  to  Annales,  t.  VII,  fasc.  XXXVI,  pp.  1-4. 

4.  Cf.  I'Oeuvre  de  la  Propagation  de  la,  Foi;  Dix  Annees  d'Apos- 
tolat  dans  les  Missions  (1898-1907),  p.  5,  Paris,  1908;   Propagation  of 
the  Faith  in  the  Catholic  Encyclopedia,  vol.  XII,  p.  461.     The  Society 
for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  is  an  international   association  for 
the    assistance    by    prayers    and    alms-giving    of    Catholic    missionary 
priests,  brothers  and  nuns  engaged  in  preaching  the  Gospel  in  heathen 
and    non-Catholic   countries.      Cf.    Prospeotus   of    the   Oeuvre,    printed 
in   Lyons,    May,   1835,  quoted   by   G-UASCO,   L  'Oeuvre   de    la   Propaga- 
tion de  la  Foi,  p.   15,  1911.     This  Society  has  for  its  object  to  pro- 
cure for  men  eternal  salvation,  to  substitute  civilization  for  barbarism 
and    to    relieve    innumerable    misfortunes'. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  3 

The  fact  that  this  year,  1922,  is  the  tercentenary  of  the 
foundation  of  the  Sacred  Congregation  de  Propaganda  Fide, 
brings  into  bold  relief  the  splendid  history  of  what  has  been 
done  in  its  past  by  the  Church  for  the  propagation  of  the 
Gospel.  It  is  worthy  of  note  that  very  often  the  Sacred 
Congregation  and  the  Society  are  confused  in  the  minds  of 
some  historians.0  There  is  without  doubt  an  intimate  relation- 
ship between  these  two  organizations.  The  one  which  now 
is  celebrating  the  three  hundredth  anniversary  of  its  organi- 
zation is  naturally  of  greater  importance,  both  because  of  its 
longer  period  of  activity,  and  because  it  is  one  of  the  official 
ministries  of  the  Church  for  the  purpose  of  spreading  the 
Faith.  The  principal  end  of  the  Congregation  was  to  recon- 
quer, by  spiritual  means — that  is,  by  prayers  and  good  works, 
by  preaching  and  by  catechising — the  countries  that  had  been 
lost  to  the  Church  through  the  Protestant  revolt  of  the  six- 
teenth century,  and  to  organize  into  one  compact  corps  the 
missionaries  and  the  missionary  enterprises  necessary  for  this 
purpose.  The  Sacred  Congregation  had  been  in  existence  for 
two  centuries  when  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the 
Faith  was  founded ;  and  the  Holy  See  perceived  in  the  French 
Society  another,  and  as  it  has  proved  to  be,  a  most  important 
means  of  carrying  out  its  great  design.  The  Society,  there- 
fore, must  not  be  confounded  with  the  Sacred  Congregation, 
although  they  bear  similar  names.  To  the  credit  of  the 
French  Society  it  may  be  said  that  without  its  assistance 
during  the  past  hundred  years  the  Sacred  Congregation  would 
have  been  seriously  hampered  in  the  work  of  directing,  super- 


5.  Cf.  GUILDAY,  The  Sacred  Congregation  de  Propaganda  Fide 
in  the  Catholic  Historical  Eeview,  vol.  VI,  pp.  478-494,  where  a 
complete  bibliography  of  Propaganda  will  be  found.  FRERI,  The 
Society,  etc.,  p.  11,  1912:  GUASCO,  Catholiques  de  France,  pp.  9-10, 
Lyons;  GENNEVOISE,  La  Propaganda  in  the  Missions  Catholiques, 
1874,  t.  VI,  pp.  410-412,  427-430,  439-441,  450-452,  476,  487-488. 
LE  BOY,  La  Propaganda  in  the  Missions  Catholiques,  t.  XXXVII,  pp. 
4-5,  15-17,  27-29,  44-47:  HENRION,  op.  cit.,  t.  II,  part  i,  pp.  245,  et  seq; 
LOUVET,  op.  cit.,  pp.  22a-26a;  L'Oeuvre  de  la  Propagation  de  la  Foi, 
pp.  106-108,  Lyons,  1898. 


4  The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

vising  and  assisting  the  missionaries  in  those  lands  where 
heresy,  schism  and  infidelity  prevail. 

We  can  well  understand  that  many  papal  documents  have 
come  from  Rome  in  praise  of  the  French  Society.  It  has 
been  enriched  with  spiritual  favors  by  every  Pope  who  has 
reigned  over  the  Church  during  the  past  hundred  years.  On 
December  3,  1880,  for  example,  Pope  Leo  XIII  signalized  the 
activity  of  the  Society  by  praising  the  abundant  harvest  it 
has  made  during  its  existence  and  the  great  Pope  mentions 
in  particular  the  cooperation  between  the  Society  and  the 
Sacred  Congregation  in  sustaining  the  work  of  the  mission- 
aries throughout  the  world.  The  Sacred  Congregation  from 
the  beginning  divided  its  work  into  two  sections ;  one  for  the 
Missions  of  the  Latin  Rite  and  those  of  the  Oriental  Rites, 
and  one  for  the  maintenance  of  both.  It  is  consequently  the 
supreme  missionary  organization  in  the  Church  of  God.  The 
Society  of  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  has  become,  in  the 
course  of  the  past  hundred  years,  its  greatest  auxiliary  in 
this  work.6  Both  have  the  world  as  their  field  of  action  ; 
both  receive  monetary  assistance  from  the  faithful  in  all 
parts  of  the  world;  both  assist  the  Missions  wherever  that 
assistance  is  necessary;  but  the  Sacred  Congregation,  being 
one  of  the  central  administrative  bodies  of  the  Holy  See,  is 
the  superior  organization  and  retains  the  supreme  adminis- 
tration of  the  missionary  field.  The  highest  honor  conferred 
upon  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  came  in 
1840,  when  Gregory  XVI  by  the  Probe  nostis  placed  the 
Society  in  the  rank  of  Universal  Catholic  Institutions,  thus 
raising  the  Society  to  an  eminence  in  the  Church  second  only 
to  the  Sacred  Congregation  de  Propaganda  Fide.7  As  an 
international  Catholic  organization,  with  its  home  in  Lyons 
and  Paris,  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  has 


6.  LEO    XIII,    Encyclical   Letter   Sancta   Dei   Civitas,    of    Dec.    3, 
1880  in  the  Annales,  t.  LIII,  pp.  79-94:  Missions  Cutholiques,  t.  XII, 
pp.    613-618,   1880. 

7.  Annales,  t.  XII,  pp.  603-615. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  5 

been  one  of  the  strongest  bonds  of  union  among  the  faithful 
of  all  nations  during  the  century  that  has  just  passed. 

To  describe  the  activities  and  the  accomplishments  of  the 
Society  during  the  hundred  years  of  its  existence,  the  his- 
torian naturally  will  first  seek  for  that  history  in  the  accounts 
published  by  the  Society  itself.8  As  we  peruse  these  docu- 
ments, one  fact  is  common  to  them  all:  The  work  of  the 
Society  is  viewed  not  as  the  result  of  a  modern  movement 
towards  centralizing  missionary  endeavor,  but  is  considered 
to  be  the  culmination  of  all  the  missionary  activity  in  the 
past  history  of  the  Church.  For  this  reason  those  who  have 
written  concerning  the  Society  trace  its  origin  to  the  very 
beginning  of  the  Church. 

The  work  of  spreading  the  Faith  is  as  old  as  Christianity ; 
and  there  is  no  exaggeration  on  the  part  of  these  writers 
when  they  find  in  the  charge  given  by  Christ  to  the  Apostles : 
Go  ye  into  the  whole  world,  and  preach  the  Gospel  to  every 
creature — the  actual  beginning  of  the  institution  known  as 
the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith.  In  the  various 
Notices  about  the  Society  published  in  the  Annales,  in  the  offi- 
cial reports  published  at  various  times  during  the  past  hun- 
dred years,  and  in  the  short  history  of  the  Society  by  the 
present  General  Secretary,  M.  Alexandre  Guasco,  the  entire 
history  of  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  from  the  time  of 
Christ  down  to  the  foundation  is  regarded,  and  with  histori- 
cal justice,  as  a  preparation  for  the  Society  itself.9 

The  great  French  Dominican,  Monsabre,  in  a  sermon 
preached  at  Lyons  on  March  20,  1891,  in  the  name  of  the 
Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith,  has  given  a  perma- 
nent form  to  this  idea.10  He  has  divided  the  epoch  preceding 
the  actual  foundation  of  the  Society  into  three  periods.  The 

8.  In  the  final  chapter  of  this  work  entitled  Critical  Essay  on  the 
Sources,   these   publications    are    described    in    detail. 

9.  GUASCO,  L'Oeuvre  de  la  Propagation  de  la  Foi  Paris,   1911. 

10.  MONSABRE,    Discours    en    favour    de    I'Oeuvre    de     la   Propa- 
gation  de   la   Foi,    prononce  dans    I'Eglisc  primatiale    de  Lyon,    March 
20,   1891,   Lyons,    1891    (p.    32) ;    Cf.    LE   ROY,    Discours    prononce   au 
Congres  National  de  Paris,  Nov.  29,  1898,  in  the  Missions  Catholiques, 
t.  XXX,  supplement,  pp.  1-7,  1898. 


6  The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

first  period  in  the  work  of  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  he 
calls  the  Apostolic  Age.  And  he  sees  in  the  organization  of 
the  Church,  in  the  growth  of  the  priesthood  and  in  the  final 
triumph  of  the  Christian  Faith  over  the  paganism  of  the 
Romano-Hellenic  world  the  first  conquest  of  the  Faith.  To 
this  period  belongs  not  only  the  work  of  the  Apostles  and  Dis- 
ciples who  received  their  mission  from  Christ  on  Pentecost 
Sunday,  but  also  the  work  of  the  great  national  missionaries, 
such  as  St.  Patrick,  St.  Augustine  of  Canterbury,  St.  Boni- 
face, Sts.  Cyril  and  Methodius,  and  the  other  missionaries  to 
the  new  European  nations. 

The  second  period  commences  with  what^Moiisabre  has 
called  that  of  the  official  protectorate  over  the  Missions  by 
the  Christian  Governments  of  the  middle  ages.  This  period 
lasts  down  to  the  time  of  the  French  Revolution.  In  this 
second  period  the  spiritual  and  temporal  powers  of  the  world 
cooperated  in  the  work  of  establishing  the  Kingdom  o*f  God 
on  earth.  The  rise  of  the  monastic  orders  with  their  ever- 
increasing  missionary  activity  is  one  of  the  outstanding  facts 
in  this  period.  It  is  true  that  the  exercise  of  royal  protection 
over  the  spread  of  the  missionary  work  brought  about  cer- 
tain difficulties  between  Church  and  State;  and  these  con- 
flicts have  unfortunately  cast  too  large  a  shadow  over  medi- 
eval civilization.  In  the  earlier  part  of  the  middle  ages  cer- 
tain inconveniences  arose  that  hindered  the  success  of  the 
Missions;  and  no  doubt  a  more  definite  means  of  cooperation 
between  Church  and  State  in  the  spread  of  Christian  civili- 
zation would  have  been  agreed  upon,  had  not  the  Protestant 
Rebellion  of  the  sixteenth  century  badly  shattered  the  mis- 
sionary work  of  the  Church.  We  see  one  evidence  of  this  in 
the  foundation  of  the  Sacred  Congregation  de  Propaganda 
Fide  in  1622,  since  its  origin  can  be  traced  to  a  period  anterior 
to  the  so  called  Counter-Reformation.  For  almost  a  century 
before  the  foundation  of  Propaganda,  the  Church  of  God  had 
been  blessed  with  the  presence  of  a  religious  society  founded 
for  the  express  purpose  of  spreading  the  Faith  in  pagan 
lands.  That  the  activities  of  the  Society  of  Jesus  were  turned 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  1 

rather  to  the  work  of  salvaging  those  parts  of  Christendom 
which  had  been  lost  to  the  Church  in  the  debacle  of  the  six- 
teenth century,  is  an  added  evidence  to  the  fact  of  the  per- 
manency of  Christian  missionary  ideals;  and  the  presence, 
therefore,  of  this  splendid  phalanx  of  scholars  and  mission- 
aries, directed  by  the  Sacred  Congregation,  enables  us  to  un- 
derstand how,  little  by  little,  there  would  grow  up  within  the 
Church  the  idea  of  an  organization  which  would  centralize 
the  interest  of  the  Catholic  laity  throughout  the  world  in 
the  work  of  propagating  the  Faith.  This  second  period  ends 
with  the  outbreak  of  the  French  Revolution. 

At  the  close  of  the  eighteenth  century,  side  by  side,  with 
the  cleavage  from  the  older  form  of  government,  there  went 
a  demoralization  of  Christian  institutions.  In  the  suppression 
of  the  Society  of  Jesus,  in  the  dispersal  of  the  religious  orders, 
and  in  the  spread  of  revolutionary  principles,  the  work  of  the 
Apostolate,  while  not  abandoned,  was  nevertheless  paralyzed 
for  the  time  being.  One  fact  was  certain,  namely,  that  the  per- 
iod of  union  and  protection,  in  which  the  political  powers  of 
Europe  cooperated  with  the  Church  for  the  spread  of  Christi- 
anity, was  over.  But  the  hand  of  God  was  not  weakened. 
The  Pope,  ever  erect,  pointed  out  to  the  Apostles  of  the  Faith 
the  new  worlds  which  had  to  be  conquered  and  the  old  worlds 
which  had  to  be  regained  to  God.  No  longer  could  the  Papacy 
depend  upon  the  governments  of  Europe  for  its  sacred  work. 
Consequently,  the  cry  of  the  Holy  See  went  out  to  the  people. 
No  new  note  needed  to  be  struck.  The  message  given  was 
one  which  carried  the  memories  of  the  faithful  back  to  the 
early  ages  of  the  Church  when,  side  by  side  with  the  Apostles 
and  Disciples,  could  be  found  the  faithful  laymen  and  lay- 
women  ready  and  anxious  to  assist  in  the  conquest  for  Christ." 
The  inspiration  which  crystallized  this  sentiment  created  the 
third  and  present  period  of  the  ideal  for  which  the  Society 
for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  stands.  After  a  century  of 
experience,  the  Society  can  look  back  on  the  years  of  its  ac- 


11.  MONSABRE,  ut  supra,  p.  15. 


8  The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

tivity  and  can  well  realize  that  its  courageous  acceptance  of 
the  task  of  rehabilitating  the  Missions  of  the  world  has  never 
once  slackened  in  that  time. 

Monsignor  Freri  has  given  us  a  summary  of  these  three 
periods,  in  his  recent  story  of  the  Society : 

The  first  was  the  period,  properly  apostolic,  the  age  of  special  di- 
vine manifestation  in  behalf  of  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith.  During 
this  period  the  apostles  and  their  first  successors  preached  throughout 
the  world;  their  missionary  needs  were  supplied  by  divine  assistance, 
by  miracles  and  by  the  responsive  devotion  inspired  in  their  early  con- 
verts. 

The  second  period  was  that  of  union  and  protectorship;  that  is 
to  say,  the  temporal  powers  of  the  world  united  to  -establish  the 
Kingdom  of  Jesus  Christ.  The  era  of  bloody  persecution  had  closed, 
the  Church  was  victorious  and  the  Caesars  bowed  their  heads  in  sub- 
mission to  receive  the  yoke  of  the  cross;  emperors,  kings  and  republics 
cooperated  with  the  Church  in  preaching  the  Christian  faith. 

The  third  period  of  the  work  of  the  Propagation  of  the  !*aith  is 
the  one  in  which  we  are  living.  It  began  with  the  XIX  Century. 
The  impiety  of  the  XVIII  Century  had  already  dealt  a  mortal  blow 
to  a  number  of  flourishing  missions,  when  the  terrible  revolutions  which 
marked  the  end  of  this  sad  epoch  effected  a  radical  change  in  the 
religious  attitude  even  of  European  nations  that  had  remained  faithful 
to  the  Catholic  religion. 

From  this  moment  their  action  was  distinct  from  that  of  the 
Church,  which  they  henceforth  considered  an  outside  and  sometimes 
rival  power.  They  were  no  longer  to  be  depended  upon  for  the  ex- 
tension of  the  Kingdom  of  God  on  earth.  The  period  of  union  and 
protectorship  was  over.  Then  Providence  substituted  the  people  for 
kings.  Catholic  missions  no  longer  directly  supported  by  sovereigns 
were  maintained  by  the  people.  Rich  and  poor  were  called  to  the 
honor  of  supporting  missionaries  of  the  Gospel  and  contributing  to 
the  development  of  the  Catholic  religion  in  all  climes. 

Several  societies  were  founded  during  the  course  of  the  last  hun- 
dred years  to  give  form  and  organization  to  the  charity  of  the  faith- 
ful in  behalf  of  missions,  but  most  of  them  have  either  a  limited  aim 
or  assist  missionaries  of  a  certain  nationality  alone.  The  only  one 
truly  universal,  is  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith,  which 
furnishes  the  principal  support  for  the  Catholic  Apostolate.12 


12.  FKERI,  op.  cit.,  pp.  3-4,  1912;  pp.  43-44,  1922. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  9 

Few  Catholics  are  ignorant  of  the  history  of  the  Church's 
missionary  activity ;  and  yet  few  know  its  history  in  any  ade- 
quate way.  Many  think,  as  Bishop  Le  Roy  has  pointed  out, 
that  the  world  was  converted  at  the  time  of  Constantine; 
while  others  consider  the  Missions  solely  in  the  light  of  their 
political  influence  in  the  lands  where  they  exist.18  But  the 
role  of  the  Catholic  missionaries  is  the  continuance  of  the 
work  of  the  Apostles,  and  the  history  of  the  Missions  is  equiv- 
alent to  the  external  history  of  the  Church.  The  Society  for 
the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  does  not  constitute  an  indepen- 
dent branch  of  this  missionary  activity,  but  it  combines  into 
one  organized  corporation  the  assistance  given  by  the  faith- 
ful for  the  necessary  prosecution  of  the  missionary  work  of 
the  Church. 

To  tell  the  story  of  the  foundation  of  the  Society  for  the 
Propagation  of  the  Faith,  and  to  describe  its  accomplishments 
in  the  last  hundred  years  is  a  work  that  must  appeal  not  only 
to  the  historian  but  to  all  those  who  see  in  its  success  another 
proof  of  Christ's  presence  in  His  Church.  What  Guasco  has 
done  for  French  readers,  Monsigiior  Freri,  the  National  Di- 
rector of  the  Society  in  the  United  States,  has  done  for  the 
English-speaking  world;  and  with  these  two  little  volumes 
before  us,  together  with  the  Annales  and  the  numerous  docu- 
ments and  pamphlets  which  it  has  been  our  pleasure  to  col- 
lect, the  progress  of  the  Society  from  1822  to  1922  can  be 
told  in  that  fulness  of  detail  which  must  bring  delight  to  the 
thousands  in  this  country  who  have  assisted  in  promoting 
the  work  and  in  helping  the  Society  to  be  truly  universal  in 
its  support  of  the  Catholic  Apostolate. 


13.  LE  ROY,  Discours,  etc.,  p.  1. 


10  The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 


CHAPTER  II 

THE  FOUNDATION  OF  THE  SOCIETY 

Looking  backward  through  the  hundred  years  of  the  ex- 
istence of  the  Society,  we  are  cognizant  of  a  singular  fact 
that  cannot  help  causing  considerable  regret  to  the  histori- 
cal student.  The  unusual  mass  of  published  material  for  the 
story  of  its  activity  is  in  reality  but  a  portion  of  the  docu- 
mentary sources  which  still  need  to  be  analyzed  before  a 
complete  history  of  the  Society  can  be  attempted.  Scarcely 
any  aspect  of  its  work,  either  of  a  religious,  scientific,  or 
literary  nature,  has  been  neglected  by  the  writers  who  have 
preceded  us;  and  one  has  but  to  glance  over  the  voluminous 
historical  notes  in  the  Annales  which  have  now  passed  their 
ninety-fourth  volume,  the  works  of  Louvet  and  of  Henrion 
who  have  treated  the  story  of  the  Catholic  Missions  in  detail, 
to  realize  how  truly  magnificent  a  past  belongs  to  this  great 
French  Catholic  organization.1 

But  the  regret  remains;  for  the  most  interesting  period 
of  all  is  the  period  of  the  origin  of  the  Society,  and  in  spite 
of  all  that  has  been  published  on  this  subject,  we  are  still 
unable  to  describe  its  beginnings  with  that  certainty  of  his- 
torical fact  which  is  demanded  by  modern  scientific  methods. 
The  truth  is,  or  seems  to  be,  that  the  Society  is  the  result  of 
an  amalgam  of  many  ideas  and  ideals,  many  plans  and  as- 
pirations. There  were  the  preliminary  work  of  Mile.  Jaricot, 
and  the  preliminary  plans  of  Mme.  Petit ;  and  there  was  the 
successful  effort  at  a  combination  of  these  two  movements 
by  M.  Benoit  Coste,  who  also  deserves  to  be  numbered  among 
the  founders. 

Around  these  three  names,  then,  in  particular,  must  be 
centred  the  story  of  the  Society's  origin.  All  three  of  them 
— Jaricot,  Petit  and  Coste,  belonged  to  the  city  of  Lyons. 


1.  LOUVET,  op.  ctt.;  HENRION,  op.  cit. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith          11 

And  around  them  may  be  grouped  the  many  others  who 
must  be  mentioned  in  the  story,  since  all  furnished  plans 
and  ideas  at  the  outset  of  the  work.  For  example,  the  story 
of  Mile.  Pauline-Marie  Jaricot  would  be  incomplete  without 
the  names  of  her  brother,  Phileas  Jaricot,  who  was  a  student 
for  the  priesthood  at  St.  Sulpice,  in  Paris,  when  Pauline  was 
originating  her  Society,  of  M.  1'Abbe  Chaumont,  Director  of 
the  Seminaire  des  Missions  Etrangeres,  at  Paris,  a  friend 
of  Phileas  Jaricot,  of  M.  le  Cure  Gourdiat,  of  the  Church  of  St. 
Polycarp,  Lyons,  who  encouraged  Pauline  through  her  earli- 
est difficulties  with  the  ecclesiastical  authorities,  of  Mile. 
Sophie  David,  an  active  worker  in  the  Society,  and  of  M. 
1'Abbe  Girodon,  a  layman  at  the  time  of  the  Society's  founda- 
tion, upon  whom  Mile.  Jaricot  depended  for  direction  and 
assistance. 

Around  the  romantic  figure  of  Mme.  Petit,  the  saddened 
ref  ugiee  of  San  Domingo,  the  two  chief  figures  are  the  Ameri- 
can Bishops,  Flaget  of  Bardstown  and  Du  Bourg  of  New 
Orleans.  There  are  also  M.  1'Abbe  Cholleton,  Director  of 
the  Seminary  of  Saint  Irenaeus,  of  Lyons,  the  friend  of 
Du  Bourg,  the  notorious  Father  Inglesi,  whose  meteoric  and 
unsaintly  career  in  the  United  States  has  marred  his  glory 
as  a  founder  of  the  Society,  and  M.  Didier  Petit  de  Meur- 
ville,  who  called  the  meeting  of  May  3,  1822,  at  which  the 
Society  was  founded,  and  whose  influence  in  the  final  organi- 
zation was  a  preponderant  one. 

The  third  figure  is  that  of  M.  Benoit  Coste,  a  silk  merchant 
of  Lyons,  who  saw  the  grave  risk  both  Mile.  Jaricot  and  Mme. 
Petit  ran  in  failing  at  the  outset  to  make  their  work  universal 
in  character  and  in  scope.  To  him,  probably,  belongs  the 
credit  for  inspiring  both  groups  with  the  ideal  of  a  truly 
universal  society  for  all  the  Missions  in  the  world. 

These,  then,  are  the  chief  personages  in  the  story  of  the 
Society's  origin,  and  around  them  has  centred  for  almost 
a  hundred  years  the  rather  interesting  controversy:  Whose 
was  the  original  idea  of  the  Society  of  the  Propagation  of 
the  Faith  as  it  exists  today? 


12  The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

There  was  more  than  one  attempt  at  an  organization 
similar  in  design  to  that  of  the  Society  before  the  birth  of 
Pauline-Marie  Jaricot  at  Lyons  on  July  22,  1799.  Although 
Mile.  Jaricot  has  been  given  the  credit  for  founding  the 
Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  in  most  of  the 
popular  literature  011  that  subject,  several  different  attempts 
were  made  before  her  time  to  organize  a  confraternity  for 
the  same  purpose.  Henrion,  in  his  history  of  the  Missions, 
speaks  of  a  Society  founded  by  a  Capuchin,  Father 
Hyacinthe,  in  1632,  at  Paris,  under  the  title  "Congregation 
of  the  Exaltation  of  the  Holy  Cross."  Its  purpose  was  the 
Propagation  of  the  Faith  in  Protestant  lands  and  for  the 
promotion  of  the  Sacrament  of  Confirmation  among  Catholic 
children.2  In  one  of  his  reports  on  the  origin  of  the  Society 
written  in  1842,  Ozanam,  who  was  then  editor  of  the  Annales, 
tells  a  story  of  a  certain  Father  Paulmyer,  a  canon  of  the 
Cathedral  of  Bayeux,  who  wrote  for  Pope  Alexander  VII, 
1663,  Memoir es  touchant  I' establissement  d'une  Mission  dans 
le  troisieme  monde  autrement  appele  la  terre  australe,  indi- 
cating the  means  of  establishing  an  association  formed  on 
the  model  of  the  East  India  Company  under  the  direction  of 
a  group  of  persons  who  knew  the  East  and  who  would  spread 
the  Faith  in  that  part  of  the  world.8  The  essential  point  of 
his  project  was  that  everyone,  rich  and  poor,  high  and  low, 
should  be  asked  to  contribute  a  small  amount  to  the  work. 

A  still  further  project  was  proposed  by  the  Superiors 
of  the  Seminary  for  Foreign  Missions  at  Paris.  This  Society 
was  founded  about  the  middle  of  the  seventeenth  century  for 
the  purpose  of  training  a  clergy  who  would  go  directly  to 
infidel  countries  for  the  work  of  the  Gospel.  The  Seminary 
is  not  a  religious  order,  but  a  society  of  secular  priests  who 
are  sent  to  China,  Japan  and  India  for  missionary  labors. 
The  Seminary  itself  is  one  of  the  best  known  projects  of  its 


2.  HENRION,  op.  cit.,  t.  II,  part  ii,  p.  675. 

3.  OZANAM,  Notice  sur  L'Oeuvre  de  la  Propagation  de  la  Foi,  in 
Melanges,  pp.   25-26;   Annales,  t.  XV,  p.   170,  1843;    Cf.  GUASCO,  op. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith          13 

kind  and  the  thought  of  forming  a  society  of  auxiliaries  who 
would  assist  it  in  meeting  the  vast  expenses  necessary  to  carry 
on  the  work  was  first  explained  as  early  as  1665,  when  the 
Bishop  of  Heliopolis  petitioned  Rome  for  the  approbation 
of  such  a  confraternity  which  was  to  be  known  as  the  Con- 
fraternity of  the  Holy  Apostles.4  The  prelate  does  not  appear 
to  have  been  successful  in  organizing  a  distinct  society,  but 
on  through  the  seventeenth  and  eighteenth  centuries  the  Cath- 
olic faithful  of  France  had  been  made  cognizant  of  the  work 
of  the  Seminary  by  means  of  pamphlets  on  the  Foreign 
Missions. 

The  first  Association  of  Prayers  and  Good  Works  for 
the  salvation  of  the  infidels  dates,  as  far  as  can  be  ascer- 
tained, from  the  end  of  the  eighteenth  century.6  It  is  known 
that  in  1780  a  brochure  on  this  Association  was  being  spread 
broadcast  throughout  France.  The  members  of  this  Associa- 


4.  HENRION,    op.    cit.,    p.    675;    Cf.    Memoire    Historique    sur    les 
Constitutions  de   la  Congregation   des  Missions  Etrangeres,  pp.   6,  16, 
17,  especially  8,  117. 

5.  LAUNAY,    Histoire    de    la    Societe    des    Missions    Etrangeres,    t. 
II,  pp.  500,  et  seq. :     "The  first  association  of  prayers  and  good  works 
for  the  salvation  of  the  infidels,  as  it  was  called,  dates  at  least,  as  we 
know  it,  from  the  end  of  the  XVIII  century.     We  are  ignorant  of  the 
precise  epoch  of  its  foundation  and  the  name  of  him  who  had  the  idea 
of  it,  but  we  know  that  in  1780  a  brochure  was  circulated  which  ex- 
plained the  end  and  practices  of  the  association.     This  brochure  existed 
in  the  archives  of  the  Seminaire  des  Missions  Etrangeres  of  Paris  in 
1799;  it  was  rediscovered  in  1816.     Here  is  a  r6sum6  of  the  rules  it 
contained:     The  associates  must  daily  recite  the  prayers  of  St.  Francis 
Xavier:  Aeterne  rerum,  and  of  St.  Bernard:  Memorare  0  Piisima,  on 
every  Friday  they  must  offer  their  good  works  to  obtain  by  the  merits 
of  the  passion  of  our  Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  the  conversion  of  the  infi- 
dels.    Every  year  at   six   determined   masses,   they  must   communicate, 
if  they  were  poor,  or  have  them  celebrated  or  celebrate  them  them- 
selves if  they  were  rich.     They  had  no  formality  to  observe,  they  were 
not  inscribed  on  any  list  and  they  had  no  offerings  to  contribute.     The 
first    association    which    consisted    only    in    the    recitation    of    common 
prayers  and  in  zeal  for  the  missions  disappeared  during  the  Revolution. 
L'Abbe  Chaumont  frequently  published  brochures  containing  letters  of 
missionaries  and  soliciting  alms.     In  the  expose  of  the  condition   and 
of  the  needs  of  the  missions  which  he  published  in  1816,  he  explained 
a^  practice   which    had    long    been    employed    by    the    '  Anabaptists '    in 
England.     They  formed  associations  called  auxiliary  societies  by  means 
of  which   all  classes  of  citizens,   even   the   poorest,  by  laying   aside   a 
cent  or  two  each  week  for  this  object  have  the  satisfaction  of  contrib- 
uting to  the  progress  of  the  Gospel." 


14          The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

tion  met  every  day  to  recite  prayers  for  the  conversion  of  the 
infidels;  they  received  Holy  Communion  six  times  a  year, 
and  while  they  had  no  definite  offering  to  give  as  a  contri- 
bution, there  is  no  doubt  that  some  help  was  given  of  this 
nature.  Father  Chaumont,  Superior  of  the  Seminary  for 
Foreign  Missions,  published  in  1816,  a  pamphlet  describing 
the  conditions  and  the  needs  of  the  Foreign  Missions,  and 
suggested  that  it  would  be  a  splendid  practice  if  the  Cath- 
olics would  imitate  certain  Protestant  Societies  in  England, 
the  members  of  which  put  aside  a  penny  or  two  every  week 
for  this  object."  As  is  well  known,  in  several  of  the  large 
cities  of  England,  such  as  London,  Liverpool,  Plymouth  and 
Bristol,  Protestant  associations  of  this  kind  had  been  founded 
in  the  seventeenth  century  for  the  purpose  of  helping  Prot- 
estant Missions  and  it  was  a  customary  thing  for  them  to 
have  on  display  in  the  various  shops  in  the  town  small  boxes 
for  alms,  such  as  we  are  quite  accustomed  to  in  our  day. 

In  1817  the  directors  of  the  Seminary  for  Foreign  Missions 
published  a  pamphlet  having  for  its  title:  Association  of 
Prayers  to  ask  of  God  the  conversion  of  infidels,  the  perse- 
verance of  Christians  who  lived  in  the  midst  of  them  and  the 
prosperity  of  establishments  destined  to  Propagate  the  Faith.7 


6.  Cf.  GUASCO,  op.  cit.,  p.  20;  Annalcs,  t.  I,  fase.  vi,  pp.  92-93; 
1825;     Encyclopedia    Brittanica,    vol.    XVIII,    pp.    586-587,    London, 
LAUNAY,  op.  cit.,  t.  II,  p.  500. 

7.  LAUNAY,  op.  cit.,  t.  II,  pp.  500,  et  seq.:    The  practices  of  the 
association  are  determined  with  precision  and  clarity;   in  the  parishes 
where  the  associates  are  numerous,  it  recommends  that  they  choose  one 
among  them  as  chief  who  will  inscribe  their  names  and  have  the  as- 
sociates meet  to  recite  in  common  the  prayers  indicated.     These  prayers 
for  the  most  part  are  the  same  as  those  prescribed  in  1780,  the  prayer 
of   St.   Francis   Xavier:    Aetcrne   rerum,   that    of   St.    Bernard   to    the 
Blessed  Virgin:  Memorarc  O  Piisima,  which  could  be  replaced  by  three 
Paters  and  Aves.     Every  Monday  the  associates  recite  a  De  Profundis 
or   a  Pater  and  an  Ave  for  the  repose  of  the   souls   of  the   defunct 
associates;   the  priests  celebrate  at  least  one  mass  each   year   for  the 
same    intentions.      The    principal    feasts    of    the    association    are    the 
Epiphany,  Pentecost,  St.  Joseph  and  St.  Francis  Xavier.     The  Christians 
are  exhorted  to  go  to  confession  and  communion  on  the  day  of  admission 
into  the  association. 

The  Secretary  of  Propaganda  was  willing  to  present  personally  to  the 
Sovereign  Pontiff  the  resume  of  the  supplication  which  the  directors  of 
the  Seminary  had  written  on  this  subject.  *  *  *  *  By  an  indult  of  Nov. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith          15 

The  means  employed  were  prayer  and  almsgiving.  Every 
Monday  the  Associates  would  recite  certain  prayers  for  the 
repose  of  the  souls  of  departed  members ;  priests  were  asked  to 
celebrate  at  least  one  Mass  a  year  for  that  purpose;  and 
the  members  wrere  exhorted  to  go  to  Holy  Communion  the 
day  of  their  entry  into  the  Association.  By  an  indult  of 
November  30,  1817,  Pius  VII  approved  the  Association  and 
granted  it  certain  indulgences.  This  Association  was  evi- 
dently an  advance  over  that  of  1780  and  it  soon  began  to  gain 
members.  At  the  same  time  Abbe  Langlois,  one  of  the  Supe- 
riors of  the  Seminary  for  Foreign  Missions,  began  to  publish 
the  news  of  the  Foreign  Missions  in  a  small  booklet.  These 
letters  appeared  from  1818-1823  and  were  later  published  in 
book  form  under  the  title  Nouvelles  Lettres  fidifiantes;  the 
series  contained  many  other  letters  of  the  period  anterior  to 
1818,  and  caused  a  considerable  amount  of  new  interest  in  the 
Missions.8 

About  this  time  Phileas,  the  brother  of  Pauline-Marie, 
entered  the  Seminary  of  Saint-Sulpice  in  order  to  complete 
his  studies  for  the  priesthood.9  This  was  probably  in  1820. 
There  had  been  considerable  correspondence  between  himself 
and  his  sister  on  the  subject  of  a  Society  which  she  had 
founded  among  pious  servant  girls  w7ho  were  known  as  the 
1  '  Reparatrices  du  Sacre  Coeur  de  Jesus  Christ. ' '  After  his  en- 


30,  1817,  Pius  VII  approved  the  association,  accorded  to  its  membera 
a  plenary  indulgence  each  year  on  the  feasts  of  the  Epiphany,  Pentecost, 
St.  Joseph  and  St.  Francis  Xavier  and  a  partial  indulgence  of  one 
hundred  days  each  time  they  recite  the  prescribed  prayers.  An  en- 
couraging letter  from  Cardinal  Litta  in  the  name  of  Propaganda 
accompanied  this  indult. 

8.  LAUNAY,  ut  supra. 

9.  GUASCO,     op.     cit.,     pp.     19-20;     MAURIN,     Vie     Nouvelle     de 
Pauline-Marie  Jaricot,   p.    91,    Paris   1892.      Phileas   Jaricot   was(   very 
young  when  he  manifested  his  desire  to  be  an  apostle.     After  having 
passed  ten  months  at  the  Seminaire  de  Ste-Foy-L  'Argentieve,  he  entered 
the  Seminaire  de  Saint-Sulpice  in  1820.    From  this  solitude,  he  continued 
the  conversations  concerning  the  necessities  of  the  distant  missions,  by 
letter  and  excited  the  zeal   of  the  Eeparatrices  and   consoled   Pauline 
when  her  work  met  with  opposition.    He  was  ordained  to  the  priesthood 
on  Dec.  21,  1823.     His  health  was  poor  and  he  became  chaplain  of  the 
Hotel  Dieu.     He  died  at  the  age  of  thirty-three  years  on  February  26, 


16          The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

trance  into  Saint-Sulpice  he  continued  his  interest  in 
the  work  of  his  sister  and  began  to  secure  cooperation  in  a 
plan  that  he  had  for  assisting  the  Seminary  of  Foreign  Mis- 
sions which  he  was  in  the  habit  of  visiting.  By  this  time 
Pauline-Marie  had  fairly  well  developed  her  plan  of  a  new 
society. 

Pauline-Marie  Jaricot  was  born  at  Lyons  on  July  22,  1799, 
the  seventh  child  of  Antoine  Jaricot  and  Jeanne  Lattier,  his 
wife.  Her  life  has  been  written  by  Maurin,  a  popular  edition 
of  which  appeared  at  Paris  in  1892.10  At  the  age  of  seven- 
teen she  began  to  lead  a  life  of  unusual  self-sacrifice  and  mor- 
tification, and  on  Christmas  Day,  1816,  she  took  a  vow  of 
perpetual  virginity.  Through  the  Society  of  the  Sacred  Heart 
of  Jesus  she  succeeded  in  ameliorating  the  moral  conditions 
of  many  of  the  young  girls  of  Lyons  and  it  was  with  the 
members  of  this  pious  society  that  she  formed  her  first  nucleus 
for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith.  It  was  in  the  midst  of  this 
spiritual  activity  that  the  suggestion  from  her  brother, 
Phileas,  reached  her  and  she  immediately  began  to  form  a 
society  among  her  intimate  friends,  whom  she  divided  into 
groups  of  ten  and  from  whom  she  asked  the  small  sum  of  a 
penny-a-week  for  the  Foreign  Missions.11  The  plan  of  this 
organization  was  sent  in  1819  or  1820  by  Phileas  to  M.  1'Abbe 


10.  MAURIN,  ut  supra;  GUASCO,  op.  cit.,  pp.  17-20. 

11.  Letters   from   Phileas  and  from  1'Abbe  Victor  Girodon   agree 
that  the  idea  of  a  cent-a-week  came  from  the  Seminaire  des  Missions- 
Etrangeres  through  Phileas  and  the   brochures   of  the   associations   of 
prayers  sent  out  by  the  Directors.     Victor  Girodon  gathered  together  a 
number  of  important  letters  bearing  upon  the  activities  of  the  founders 
of  the  Society  into  a  cahier  entitled:     Fondation  de   I'Oeuvre   de  la 
Propagation    de    la    FoL     Monseigneur    Bechetoille,    President    of    the 
Central  Council  of  Lyons,  loaned  me  this  cahier  with  the  assurance  that 
it  contained  true  copies  of  the  documents  that  had  been  sent  to  Rome 
for  the  cause  of  beatification  of  Mile.  Pauline-Marie  Jaricot.     Launay 
says:     "She  had  known  the  Seminaire  des  Missions  Etrangeres  through 
reading  the  relations  of  missionaries,  the  statutes  of  associates  of  prayers 
and  the  urgent  appeals  addressed  to  the  Catholics  by  1'AbbS  Chaumont 
and  PAbb6  Langlois.     The  ardent  soul  of  Mile.  Jaricot  was  touched  by 
these  sad   accounts  and  she  understood  that   organization  was  lacking 
in    the   new    association    and    she    insistently    asked    God    that    she    be 
enlightened  on  that  point. " 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith          17 

Langlois  of  the  Seminary  of  Foreign  Missions.12  It  is  this  fact 
which  has  given  to  Mile.  Jaricot  the  popular  title  of  foundress 
of  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith.  In  the  note- 
book of  one  of  the  priests  of  St.  Polycarp  at  Lyons  we  read : 
"When  I  was  an  assistant  at  the  Church  of  St.  Polycarp  at 
Lyons  I  undertook  to  trace  the  origin  of  the  Society  for  the 
Propagation  of  the  Faith  of  Christ  at  this  time  (1867-68) 
there  were  still  living  certain  members  of  the  first  group 
formed  by  Pauline-Marie.  I  visited  them  and  endeavored 
to  gather  all  the  traditions  which  they  had.  I  am  convinced 
that  this  wonderful  Society  had  a  very  singular  origin  and 
that  it  is  difficult  to  distinguish  the  traditions  and  the  actual 
history."  One  point  which  seems  impossible  to  clear  up  is 
the  question  of  the  cent-a-week  system.  It  is  true  that 
Pauline-Marie  denied  any  connection  between  the  Protestant 
method  and  her  own,  and  it  is  quite  possible  that  the  idea 
arose  in  her  own  mind  independently.  In  Maurin's  Life  it  is 
related  that  she  was  seated  one  evening  in  her  study  endeav- 
oring to  decide  upon  a  plan  for  her  work.  The  idea  of  groups 
of  ten  arose  quite  unconsciously  in  her  mind  and  after  reflec- 
tion she  realized  that  the  groups  of  ten  persons  might  be  ex- 
tended to  groups  of  a  hundred  and  to  groups  of  a  thousand, 
who  would  all  send  their  funds  to  a  common  center.14  She 
traced  this  plan  on  a  piece  of  paper  and  then  talked  it  over 
with  one  of  the  priests  of  Lyons.  Pauline-Marie  communicated 
this  idea  to  Phileas,  who  placed  it  before  the  Seminary  of  For- 
eign Missions,  and  it  was  immediately  commended  by  them  as 
an  excellent  system.  Pauline 's  brother-in-law  was  manager  of  a 
silk  factory  at  Saint-Vallier  and  she  proposed  to  the  workmen 
in  the  factory  and  in  the  little  town  itself  that  they  form  them- 


12.  Cf.    VICTOR   GIRODON,    cahier    on    the    Fondation    de    I'Oeuvre 
de  la  Propagation  de  la  Foi.     One  letter  of  Alphonse   Girodon  dated 
1880    claims   Phileas   was    the    intermediary    between    Pauline    and   the 
Seminaire  des  Missions  Etrangeres  in  1819.     Other  letters  in  the  same 
cahier   such   as  that   of   Mile.    Sophie  David   state   it  was    1820.     The 
earliest  letter  from  Phileas  written  in  Paris  is  dated  April  15,  1820. 

13.  Traditions    concernant    le    question    in    the    cahier    of    VICTOR 
GIRODON,  op.  cit. 

14.  MAURIN,   op.   cit.,  p.   94;    MASSON,   Pauline-Marie  Jaricot,   p. 
32,  Lyons  1899;  GUASCO,  op.  cit.,  p.  20. 


18  The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

selves  into  groups  of  ten  for  the  purpose  of  assisting  the 
Foreign  Missions.  This  was  probably  in  1820.  The  difficulty 
of  regulating  the  organization  among  the  working  people  at 
this  distance  from  her  home  led  her  to  ask  a  young  man  in 
the  employ  of  her  brother-in-law  to  guide  the  Society.  This 
young  man,  Victor  Girodon,  later  entered  the  Seminary  and 
became  a  priest.15  Around  his  name  must  be  centered  much 
of  the  early  history  of  the  Society.  It  was  Girodon  who  was 
present  at  the  meetings  in  May,  1822,  at  Lyons,  when  the 
present  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  was  founded 
and  he  represented  Pauline-Marie  and  her  work. 

We  have  now  to  chronicle  a  distinctly  separate  organiza- 
tion which  was  assuming  different  shape  about  this  time, 
also  in  Lyons,  some  years  before  the  birth  of  Pauline-Marie. 
Didier  Petit  de  Meurville  lost  his  father  and  maternal  uncle 
in  the  general  massacre  of  the  whites  by  the  negroes  during 
the  revolution  of  San  Domingo  in  1794.  Mme.  Petit,  his 
mother,  left  Sari  Domingo  with  her  two  children  and  came  to 
Baltimore.  She  had  lost  her  fortune  and  being  obliged  to  earn 
her  own  living,  opened  a  school  for  young  girls  in  that  city. 
She  became  acquainted  with  Father  Louis  Du  Bourg,  who  was 
born  in  San  Domingo  in  1766.  He  entered  the  Seminary  of 


15.  MAURIN,  op.  cit.,  p.  108;  GUASCO,  op.  cit.,  p.  21;  VICTOR 
GIRODON,  in  the  cahier  has  given  these  details  in  letters  from  Phileas 
to  Pauline,  dated  April  15,  1820;  and  from  Girodon  to  Terret:  "My 
uncle  (Victor  Girodon)  entered  with  ardor  into  the  new  association,  he 
brought  to  it  that  spirit  of  exactitude  and  continued  effort  which 
solidly  establishes  and  maintains.  She  (Mile.  Jarieot)  had  the  plans 
and  the  initiative;  it  remained  for  him  to  put  them  into  execution  and 
to  develop  them.  He  continued  the  relations  with  Phileas,  obtained 
more  frequent  and  more  important  communications,  and  even  some 
printed  notices  which  he  circulated  among  his  groups  of  ten."  The 
membership  soon  rose  to  one  thousand  which  though  a  considerable 
number  was  not  likely  to  increase  owing  to  the  narrow  scope  of  the 
influence  of  the  first  associates.  The  first  offerings  amounted  to  1,439 
francs  which  were  sent  to  the  Seminaire  des  Missions  Etrangeres  in  1820 
and  1821.  "Ecclesiastical  authority  was  indeed  far  from  being  favor- 
able to  it  (the  work  of  Mile.  Jaricot)  and  often  the  voice  of  the  pastors 
was  raised  from  the  pulpit  of  the  Chartreux  at  St.  Nizier,  against  this 
new,  almost  unknown  work  which  had  not  been  approved  by  superiors, 
and  which  tended  to  replace  works  that  were  far  more  ancient  and 
of  proven  utility."  L'Abbe  Gourdiat  encouraged  Pauline  and  he 
centralized  the  collections  and  delivered  them  to  the  Seminaire  des 
Missions  Etrangeres  at  Paris. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith          19 

Saint-Sulpicc  at  Paris  and  was  ordained  there  in  1788,  and  was 
Superior  of  the  Seminary  of  Issy  when  the  French  Revolution 
drove  him  from  France.  The  year  of  the  massacre  in  San  Do- 
mingo he  came  to  Baltimore,  where  he  was  welcomed  by  Bishop 
Carroll.18  It  was  not  long  before  Mme.  Petit  sought  him  out 
arid  no  doubt  during  the  years  he  spent  in  Baltimore  he 
proved  himself  a  worthy  director  of  the  Petit  family.17  A 
most  careful  search  has  failed  to  reveal  the  correspondence 
which  probably  passed  between  Mme.  Petit  and  Father  Du 
Bourg  after  her  return  to  France.18  In  1803  Mme.  Petit 's 
family  encouraged  her  to  return  to  Lyons  and  she  crossed  the 
Atlantic  in  the  summer  of  that  year  with  the  party  of  Sul- 
picians  who  had  been  recalled  to  France  by  Superior-General 


16.  MIGNE,    Encyclopedic    Theologique,    Dictionnaire    des    Missions 
Catlwliques,  t.  1,  pp.  441-446;   The  Metropolitan  Catholic  Almanac  and 
Laity's  Directory  for  the  Tear  of  Our  Lord  1839,  pp.  50-68. 

17.  CLARKE,  in  his  Lives  of  the]  Deceased  Bishops  of  the  Catholic 
Church  in  the  United  States,  Vol.  1,  pp.  204-238.    New  York,  1888,  says: 

"Baltimore  received  her  share  of  these  afflicted  fugitives  and 
extended  a  generous  welcome  to  them.  Mr.  Du  Bourg,  himself  a  native 
of  St.  Domingo,  felt  the  warmest  sympathy  for  his  scattered  countrymen, 
and,  though  greatly  occupied  with  his  cares  and  duties  at  St.  Mary's 
College,  he  devoted  himself  to  their  relief.  Homeless  and  penniless, 
they  were  provided  with  shelter  and  support,  and  their  spiritual  wants 
especially  received  from  him  the  most  generous  and  heroic  attention. 
To  the  more  humble  and  afflicted  colored  people  he  especially  devoted 
himself,  and  with  the  aid  of  the  Eev.  John  Tessier,  who  had  been 
Superior  of  St.  Mary's  Seminary,  he  gathered  them  together  in  a  con- 
gregation, and  assembled  them  regularly  for  divine  service  in  the  lower 
chapel  of  St.  Mary's. 

The  most  brilliant  and  fruitful  service  rendered  by  Bishop  Du  Bourg 
to  the  Church,  not  only  in  America,  but  throughout  the  most  remote  and 
unenlightened  portions  of  the  world,  was  the  leading  part  he  took  in  the 
foundation  of  the  illustrious  "Association  for  the  Propagation  of  the 
Faith."  It  has  been  well  said  that  "the  establishment  which  Mr. 
Du  Bourg,  while  on  his  return  to  Louisiana  from  Italy,  made  at  Lyons, 
is  of  itself  enough  to  immortalize  his  name.  He  there  formed  in  1815, 
the  Association  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith." 

18.  FOIK,  Catholic  Archives  af  America,  in  the  Catholic  Historical 
Eeview,    vol.    I,    p.    64,    1915,    says:      "Another    case    where    priceless 
documents  went  to  decay  occurred  in  New  Orleans.     When  the  Federal 
troops  threatened  to   destroy  that  city  most  of  the  papers   of  Bishop 
Penalver,  Bishop  Du  Bourg  and  others  were  concealed  in  a  fireplace  and 
bricked   up.      After    General    Butler   had    been    in    possession    of    New 
Orleans  for  some  time  the  wall  was  removed,  and  then  it  was  found 
that  no  one  had  thought  to  close  the  chimney  at  the  top;  the  rain  had 
poured  down  and  the  papers  were  a  mass  of  pulp." 


20          The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

Father  Emery.19  Mme.  Petit  never  forgot  the  generous  hos- 
pitality of  the  country  which  had  received  her  after  her  ter- 
rible trials  in  San  Domingo.  She  kept  up  a  correspondence 
with  many  of  the  missionaries  of  the  United  States  and  in 
particular  with  Father  Flaget,  who  was  to  become  Bishop  of 
Bardstown,  Kentucky,  in  1808,  and  with  Father  Du  Bourg 
who  was  consecrated  Bishop  of  New  Orleans  at  Rome  in  1815.20 

-4- 

Before  returning  to  the  United  States  after  his  consecra- 
tion, Bishop  Du  Bourg  came  to  Lyons  to  renew  his  acquain- 
tance with  his  friends  and  in  particular  with  Mme.  Petit, 
whose  splendid  character  and  profound  Christian  piety  had 
always  appealed  to  him.  His  diocese,  as  he  explained  to  Mme. 
Petit,  was  larger  than  France,  extending  from  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico  to  the  Canadian  Border.  Help  was  needed  badly  if  the 
Church  in  that  vast  region  was  to  be  given  a  proper  start. 
He  asked  her,  therefore,  to  found  a  charitable  association 
for  the  spiritual  needs  of  Louisiana  and  suggested  that  she 


19.  Cf.  TESSIEK,  Diary. 

20.  OZANAM,  Notice,  etc.,  op.  cit.t  p.  28;   L'Oeuvre  de  la  Propa- 
gation de  la  Foi,  p.  11,  1898;  ibid.,  pp.  11-12,  1908;  FRERI,  op.  cit.,  p.  5, 
1912;    ibid.,   in   Annals,   vol.    LXXXV,    pp.    44-45,    1922;    GUASCO,   op. 
cit.,  pp.  15-16,  1911 ;  Compte  Eendu  de  1871,  in  Annales,  t.  XLIV,  1872, 
pp.  158-159,  Originetf  de  I'Oeuvre  de  la  Propagation  de  la  Foi,  in  the 
Annales,  t.  L,  pp.  345-346;  Notice  sur  la  Fondation  de  I'Oeuvre  de  la 
Propagation  de  la  Foi,  in  the  Annales,  t.  LII,  pp.  148-149,  HENRION, 
op.  cit.,  t.  II,  part  ii,  pp.  675-676;  LOUVET,  op.  cit.,  p.  2a.    The  following 
is  an  excerpt  from  a  letter  of  Mgr.  Du  Bourg  to  the  Cardinal  Prefect 
of  Propaganda,  from  the  Catholic  Historical  Review,  vol.  IV,  p.  68: 

Paris,  Mar.   29,  1817. 

If  meanwhile  I  went  to  Paris,  I  take  God  to  witness,  it  was  in  no 
way  for  the  purpose  of  winning  the  good  graces  of  the  Royal  family, 
or  for  any  human  advantage,  but  solely  for  the  spiritual  benefit  of  my 
poor  Diocese.  Indeed,  I  went  not  only  to  Paris,  but  also  to  Belgium  to 
secure  everywhere  I  could  both  active  laborers  and  help  of  every  kind, 
and  thank  God  my  efforts  were  not  fruitless. 

For  besides  the  thirteen  men  already  arrived  in  my  Diocese 
(among  whom  are  Fathers  De  Andreis,  Eosat  and  Acquaroni,  of  the 
Roman  House  of  the  Mission.  Flaveau  Rossi  and  Aloysius  Bighi,  of 
the  Roman  College)  twenty  and  more  ecclesiastics  are  ready  to  sail 
with  me,  with  whose  help  we  will  be  able  to  provide  in  some  way  for 
the  foundation  of  the  Seminary  and  the  personnel  of  the  missions.  More- 
over with  regard  to  the  expense,  His  Most  Christian  Majesty  will 
furnish  a  ship,  the  Princess  and  some  good  Christians,  money  and  a 
supply  of  sacred  utensils— a  very  nice  liberality  in  the  present  straight- 
ened circumstances. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith          21 

form  a  group  of  ladies  and  gentlemen  who  would  guarantee 
a  stipulated  amount  regularly  for  the  maintenance  of  his 
mission.  Mme.  Petit  had  already  sent  many  articles  for  mis- 
sionary purposes  to  Baltimore  and  she  entered  into  the  idea 
of  the  bishop  with  her  wonted  enthusiasm.  Among  those 
whom  she  had  interested  was  M.  Benoit  Coste,  a  merchant  of 
Lyons.21  She  appealed  to  all  her  friends,  who  were  among  the 
wealthy  and  noble  class  of  the  city.  Very  little  is  known 
about  the  success  of  her  labors,  but  it  is  certain  that  her  or- 
ganization, which  seems  to  have  been  without  a  name,  was 
partially  successful.22  M.  Coste  had  endeavored  to  influence 
her  in  the  idea  of  a  truly  catholic  society  that  is  the  foun- 
dation of  a  society  which  would  embrace  the  entire  world  and 
would  assist  the  Missions  in  all  parts  of  Christendom.  Father 
Cholleton,  the  Superior  of  the  Seminary  at  Lyons,  an  intimate 
friend  of  Bishop  Du  Bourg,  was  called  into  counsel  but  found 
the  very  idea  of  one  large  society  too  vast  an  undertaking.28 


21.  Notice  sur  la  Fondation  de  I'Oeuvrc  de   la  Propagation  de   la 
Foi,  in  the  Annales,  t.  L,  p.  151. 

22.  Mme.   Petit  endeavored  to   establish  a  permanent  organization 
with  a  fixed  annual  contribution  of  one  or  two  francs  per  year.  Through 
her  social  position  and  the  personal  influence  she  exercised  Mme.  Petit 
was  enabled  to  give  more  and  more  efficacious  aid  to  the  Bishops  of 
New  Orleans  and  Bardstown.     This  aid  chiefly  comprised  sacred  vessels, 
ornaments    and    the    product    of    collections.      Mile.    Jaricot    made    her 
collections  among  the  working  class  whereas  Mme.  Petit  collected  from 
the  well-to-do  class. 

23.  GUASCO,    op.    tit.,    p.     17,    1911.       While    Bishop    Du   Bourg 
remained  in  Lyons,  he  lived  at  the  Seminary  of  St.  Irenaeus,  of  which 
1'Abbe  Cholleton  was  the  Director.     Bishop  DuBourg  gave  two  ordina- 
tions, blessed  the  statue  of  St.  Irenaeus,  and  gave  confirmation  in  several 
places.     At  the  time  of  his  death,  several  notices  gave  him  the  credit 
for  the  foundation  of  the  Society.     The  Annales  (t.  VII,  p.  101),  states: 
"We  simply  remark  that  Mgr.  Du  Bourg  is  by  no  means  the  founder 
of  the  Association  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith.     The  interest  which 
his  mission  inspired  had  no  doubt  great  influence  upon  those  who   did 
establish  the  Society;   hence  it  was  founded  in   part   for  him,  but  not 
at  all  by  him. ' '     The  Dictionnaire  de  Theologie  Catholique,  in  an  article 
by   1'Abbe   GABRIEL    ANDRE,   Amerique    (Etats    Unis   d')    Catholicisme, 
p.  1056,  states :     "To  Mgr.  Du  Bourg  is  indirectly  due  the  establishment 
of  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith.      The  plan   which  he  formed  on   his 
visit  to  Lyons  on  his  return  from  Rome  in  1815,  of  an  association  of 
women  to  provide  for  the  needs  of  his  vast  diocese,  was  the  occasion  of 
the  Society ' '   L  'Abbe   Cholleton  was   made  honorary  Vicar-General   of 
New  Orleans  by  Bishop  Du  Bourg.     Many  interesting  letters  concerning 


22          The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

The  very  grandeur  of  such  a  design  seems  to  have  frightened 
Mme.  Petit,  but  Coste  continued  repeating  his  own  interpreta- 
tion of  the  work  and  the  result  was  that  the  two  groups  at 
Lyons,  finding  that  their  designs  were  similar,  became  known 
to  each  other. 

Towards  the  end  of  the  year  1822  Father  Inglesi,  the 
Vicar-General  of  Bishop  Du  Bourg  of  New  Orleans,  came  to 
France  on  a  mission  from  his  superior.24  After  a  few  days 
in  Paris  he  traveled  to  Lyons  to  visit  Mme.  Petit  and  take  up 
with  her  the  project  of  organizing  a  more  compact  society 
for  the  purpose  of  assisting  the  Missions  of  his  diocese.  By 
his  own  distinguished  manners  and  the  charm  of  his  person- 
ality the  young  Italian  priest  very  quickly  gained  the  sym- 
pathy of  all.  In  the  name  of  Bishop  Du  Bourg  he  entered 
the  higher  circles  of  society  of  Paris  and  even  won  the  good 
will  of  Louis  XVIII  and  his  court.  The  three  days  which 
he  passed  at  Lyons  were  spent  in  discussing  the  plans  with 
Mme.  Petit  and  her  son,  and  after  his  return  from  the  Con- 
gress of  Ley  bach  (April,  1822),  he  went  to  Lyons  to  complete 
the  plans  for  his  organization.  M.  Diclier  Petit,  the  son  of 
Mme.  Petit,  called  together  a  few  of  his  friends  to  discuss  the 
project  of  Father  Inglesi.25  Among  these  was  Benoit  Coste, 
who  had  already  been  assisting  Pauline-Marie  Jaricot  in  her 
work  of  gathering  funds  for  the  Foreign  Missions.  He  gave 
the  meetings  of  May  3,  1822,  its  distinctly  universal  phase, 
he  himself  had  for  many  years  aided  in  organizing  a  society 
for  the  American  Missions,  but  he  was  emphatic  in  his  decision 


the    founders    are    to    be    found    in    VICTOR    GIRODON,    cahier    sur    La 
Fondation,  etc. 

24.  OZANAM,    op.    cit.    p.    29;    OZANAM,    Compte    Eendu    de    1871 
in  Annales,  t.  XLIV,  1872,  p.  160 ;  Origines,  etc.  in  Antilles,  t.  L,  p.  317, 
L'Oeuvrc,  ibid.  p.  13,  1898;  ibid.  p.  13,  1908;  FRERI,  op.  cit.  p.  6,  1912; 
ibid,   in   Annals,  Vol.   LXXXV,   p.   46,    1922,   GUASCO,   op.    cit.    p.    22, 
1911;  Annales,  t.  LII,  p.  150.    Important  Propaganda  documents  in  the 
possession  of  Dr.  Guilday  were  received  too  late  for  use  in  the  text. 

25.  Annales,  t.  LII,  p.  149,  "Beginning  at  this  moment,  M.  Didier 
Petit,  who  for  a  long  time  had  identified  himself  with  the  thought,  the 
work,  and  the  pious  desires  of  his  mother,  took  a  more  active  part,  if 
not  a  preponderant  part,  in  the  grand  work  which  Providence  prepared. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith          23 

not  to  swerve  from  his  ideas  which  would  assist  the  Catholic 
Missions  of  the  entire  world.28 

The  first  meeting  was  called  on  May  3,  1822,  and  there 
were  assembled  the  following  persons:  de  Verne,  Benoit 
Coste,  Count  d'Herculais,  de  Villiers,  Magneunin,  Didier 
Petit,  Auguste  Bonnet,  Antoine  Perisse,  Terret,  Victor  Giro- 
don  and  Father  Cholleton. 

The  Veni  Creator  was  said  and  Father  Inglesi  explained 
the  object  of  his  mission  and  gave  a  detailed  description  of 
the  Louisiana  Missions.  He  proposed  to  establish  at  Lyons  an 
association  which  would  assist  in  a  permanent  manner  all  the 
Catholic  Missions  of  the  world  and  in  particular  those  of  his 
own  diocese.  This  resolution  was  adopted  unanimously  on  that 
day.  It  took  for  its  title,  the  Association  de  la  Propagation  de 
la  Foi  dans  les  Dcux-Mondes,  thus  the  new  Society  was  at 
last  begun.  Further  objections  were  raised  by  'Girodon,  who 
was  present  as  the  representative  of  Miss  Jaricot,  but  before 
the  meeting  adjourned  all  difficulties  were  settled  and  the 
principle  of  universality  which  distinguished  it  from  every 
preceding  tentative,  was  made  a  permanent  feature  in  the 
work.  Girodon  had  explained  the  method  employed  by  Pauline- 
Marie  in  her  work,  that  of  groups  of  ten  and  of  a  one-cent-a- 
week  from  each  person  and  this  system  was  immediately 
adopted  by  the  new  Society.  A  Central  Council  was  formed 
at  Lyons  with  the  following  officers:  de  Verne,  President; 
Coste,  Vice-President ;  Petit,  Secretary ;  de  Herculais,  Treas- 


26.  OZANAM,  Notice,  etc.  in  the  Annales,  t.  LII,  pp.  150-151,  says: 
' '  On  Thursday,  May  2,  1822,  M.  Petit  set  out  to  seek  the  most  important 
men  and  those  best  known  for  the  exercise  of  good  works.  He  had 
already  been  assured  of  the  adherence  of  some  of  them  when  ho  met 
on  the  street,  one  of  his  friends,  M.  Benoit  Coste,  he  briefly  explained 
to  him  the  project  and  invited  him  to  the  meeting  on  the  next.  day. 
'Willingly'  replied  M.  Coste,  'if  it  is  to  form  a  more  general  work, 
one  extended  to  the  whole  world.7  'Yes,'  replied  M.  Petit  with 
feeling,  as  if  struck  by  a  ray  of  light,  'Yes,  it  is  much  better  still,  I 
adopt  your  idea;  it  is  grander,  it  must  be  pleasing  to  all.'  " 


24          The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

urer ;  de  Verne,  de  Villiers  and  Terret,  Councillors.27  Shortly 
afterwards,  Didier  Petit  went  to  Paris  and  established  there 
a  local  and  a  Superior  Council-  in  order  to  have  a  representa- 
tion at  the  capital.  The  result  was  that  the  two  councils 
of  Lyons  and  of  Paris  worked  side  by  side  from  the  begin- 
ning as  they  have  done  down  to  the  present.  Other  meetings 
were  held  on  May  8  and  May  21.  On  May  25,  1822,  a  union 
was  officially  established  between  the  work  of  Pauline-Marie 
and  the  new  Society.28 

Such  is  the  story  of  the  organization  of  the  Society 
taken  from  an  unpublished  letter  written  by  Girodon  to 
Terret,  the  president  of  the  General  Council  of  Lyons. 
Victor  Girodon  became  a  priest  and  until  his  death  proved 
to  be  a  valuable  aid  to  Pauline-Marie  in  her  work.  This 
account  is  corroborated  by  a  letter  written  February 
10,  1862,  by  Paul  Girodon,  nephew  of  1'Abbe  Girodon,  who 
has  included  in  his  account  passages  from  the  letter  of  his 
uncle.29  By  this  time  (1862)  the  controversy  had  arisen  on 
the  subject  of  the  foundation  of  this  Society.  The  question 
had  been  raised  whether  the  credit  for  the  organization  of  the 
Society  should  be  given  to  Pauline-Marie  or  to  Bishop  Du 
Bourg  and  Mme.  Petit,  or  to  Benoit  Coste,  and  much  dis- 
cussion ensued  regarding  the  part  the  three  groups  had  taken 
in  the  Society's  organization.  Whether  either  of  the  two  or- 
ganized movements,  that  of  Du  Bourg-Petit  or  of  Missions 
Etrangeres-Jaricot,  would  have  succeeded  alone  is  difficult  to 
answer ;  but  there  is  no  doubt  that  the  idea  of  universality  and 
unity  introduced  in  the  meeting  by  Benoit  Coste  made  a  para- 
mount change  in  the  organization  during  the  month  of  May, 
1822.  The  question  was  raised  whether  the  idea  of  a  cent-a- 
week  was  original  with  Pauline-Marie.  She  herself,  as  has  been 


27.  OZANAM,  Notice,  etc.,  in  the  Annales,  t.  LII,  pp.  151-152,  Compte 
Eendu  de  1871  in  the  Annales,  t.  XLIV,  pp.  160-161,  Annales,  t.  L,  pp. 
317-318,    OZANAM,   Melanges,   pp.    30-31;   L'Oeuvre,   etc.,  p.    13,    1898; 
ibid.  p.  13,  1908;   FRERI,  op.  cit.,  p.   7,  1912;   ibid,  in  Annals,  p.  46, 
1922,  GUASCO,  op.  cit.,  p.  22,  1911. 

28.  GUASCO,  op.  cit.,  p.  24. 

29.  This    letter    is    in    the    cahier    of    VICTOR    GIRODON,    La   Fon- 
dation,  etc. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith          25 

already  stated,  repudiated  any  connection  between  her  own 
plans  and  those  of  the  Protestant  Missionary  activity.  It  is 
not  possible  to  settle  the  problem  of  who  was  responsible  for 
the  amalgamation  of  the  two  movements  or  of  the  division  of 
the  associates  into  groups  of  ten.  At  a  distance  of  a  hundred 
years,  it  would  seem,  however,  that  one  without  the  other 
would  not  have  succeeded  so  well  as  has  the  Society.  In  the 
first  year  contributions  were  divided  among  the  American 
Missions  and  the  Seminary  for  Foreign  Missions.  From  that 
time  down  to  the  close  of  the  century  the  Church  in  the 
United  States  has  been  aided  to  an  incredible  extent  by  the 
Society. 


26  The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

CHAPTER  III 
THE  ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  SOCIETY 

(May  3-25,  1822) 

The  two  distinct  movements  towards  the  ideal  embodied 
in  the  Rule  of  the  Society  were  finally  combined  in  a 
series  of  meetings,  held  in  Lyons,  during  the  month  of  May, 
1822.  "In  the  designs  of  Providence  who  seemed  henceforth 
to  conduct  the  government  of  the  Society  without  the  aid  of 
man,"  writes  Ozanam,  "the  first  meeting  was  held,  without 
premeditation,  on  Friday,  May  the  third,  the  feast  of  the 
finding  of  the  Holy  Cross."1 

A  provisional  bureau  was  formed;  and  M.  de  Verna  was 
delegated  to  draw  up  a  Rule.  For  this  purpose  there  was 
named  a  committee  composed  of  Messrs.  Terret,  Petit  and 
de  Villiers,  while  M.  Terret  was  charged  with  the  work  of 
settling  the  method  for  collecting  funds.  M.  Terret  then 
interviewed  his  employee  M.  Girodon,  and  through  him  asked 
to  be  acquainted  with  the  intentions  of  Mile.  Jaricot.2  After 
some  hesitancy,  inspired  solely  by  her  desire  for  good,  Mile. 
Jaricot  and  her  collaborators  adhered  to  the  projects  of  this 
first  meeting.  A  second  meeting,  more  numerous  than  that 
of  May  the  third,  took  place  on  the  eighth;  a  third  assembly 
was  held  on  the  twenty-first:  and  finally  in  a  meeting  held 
the  twenty-fifth  of  May,  1822,  the  First  Rule  was  adopted. 
The  Bureau  was  constituted  in  definitive  manner  with  M.  de 


1.  OZANAM,    Origines,   etc.,    in    the   Annales,   t.    L,    p.    317,    1878; 
Compte  Rendu  de  1871,  in  the  Annales,  t.  XLIV,  p.  161,  1872;  OZANAM, 
Melanges,  t.   11,  p.  30,  1872;  L'Oeiwre  de  la  Propagation  de  la  Foi,} 
p.  14,  1898,  ibid.,  p.  13,  1908;  FRERI,  op.  cit.,  p.  7,  1912;  ibid.,  in  the 
Annals,  vol.  LXXXV,  p.  46,  1922;   HENRION,  Histoire,  etc.,  t.  II,  part 
ii,  p.  676;  LOUVET,  op.  cit.,  p.  2a. 

2.  OZANAM,  Melanges,  t.  II,  p.  30,  1872;   Compte  Eendu  de  1871, 
in  the  Annales,  t.  XLIV,  p.  161,  1872;   Notice,  etc.,  in  the  Annales,  t. 
LII  p.  152;  L'Oeuvre,  etc.,  p.  13,  1898;  ibid.,  p.  13,  1908;  FRERI,  op. 
cit.,  p.  7,  1912;   ibid.,  in  Annals,  vol.  LXXXV,  p.  46,   1922;   GUASCO, 
op.  cit.,  p.  24,  1911. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith          27 

Verna  as  President,  M.  Benoit  Coste  as  Vice-President,  M.  de 
Herculais  as  Treasurer,  and  M.  Petit  as  Secretary.  The  Society 
was  now  formed,  and  approbation  of  episcopal  authority  was 
immediately  obtained.  A  diocesan  committee,  composed  of 
seven  members  was  then  constituted. 

In  one  of  the  earliest  numbers  of  the  Annales,  this  original 
Rule  is  given  as  follows : 

ESTABLISHMENT    AND    OBJECT   OF    THE    ASSOCIATION. 

Art.  I.  There  is  founded  in  France  a  pious  association,  taking 

the  title  of  Association  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith. 

Art.  II.  It  has  for  its  object  to  extend  the  society  of  the  Catholic 
faithful  by  aiding  with  all  the  means  in  its  power,  the 
Missionaries  charged  to  spread  the  lights  of  the  faith 
among  the  foreign  nations  of  both  hemispheres. 

Art.  III.  It  is  composed  of  all  the  faithful  of  both  sexes,  whose 
Christian  conduct  is  calculated  to  call  down  upon  this 
enterprise  the  benediction  of  God. 

DIVISION  AND  ADMINISTRATION  OF  THE  ASSOCIATION. 

Art.  IV.  The  Association  is  divided  in  divisions,  in  centuries,  in 
sections. 

Art.  V.  Ten  members  form  a  section,  ten  sections  a  century,  ten 

centuries  a  division. 

Art.  VI.          Each  division,  each  century,  each  section,  has  a  chief. 

Art.  VII.  The  chiefs  of  division  of  a  diocese  share  the  right  of 
the  council  of  administration  of  the  Association  in  the 
diocese.  They  correspond  on  one  side  with  the  council, 
on  the  other  with  chiefs  of  their  centuries. 

Art.  VIII.  The  chiefs  of  the  century  are  named  by  the  chief  of  their 
division.  They  correspond  on  one  side  with  the  chief,  on 
the  other  with  the  chiefs  of  their  sections. 

Art.  IX.  The  chiefs  of  section  are  named  by  the  chief  of  their 
century  and  correspond  with  him.  Each  of  them  is  charged 
to  provide  for  the  replacement  of  members  who  cease  to 
take  part  in  their  section. 

Art.  X.  Each  chief  of  division,  of  century,  or  of  section  keeps  an 

exact  list  of  the  ten  persons  who  depend  upon  his  admin- 
istration. He  communicates  it  to  his  superior  chiefs  every 
time  they  demand  it. 


28 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 


Art.  XI.  In  no  case  can  the  divisions,  centuries  or  sections  meet  in 
assembly. 

MEANS  OF  THE  ASSOCIATION. 

Art.  XII.  The  principal  means  upon  which  the  Association  founds 
its  hope  of  attaining  the  object  which  it  proposes  for  itself 
are  prayer  and  alms. 

Art.  XIII.  To  call  down  the  graces  of  God  upon  the  Association  and 
upon  the  Missions  each  associate  is  invited  to  say  every 
day  an  Our  Father  and  a  Hail  Mary.  It  is  sufficient  for 
that  to  apply  to  this  intention  and  once  for  all,  the  Our 
Father  and  the  Hail  Mary  of  his  morning  or  night  prayer; 
he  will  join  to  it  this  invocation:  St.  Francis  Xavier, 
pray  for  us. 

Art.  XIV.  The  Association  chooses  as  more  particular  epochs  of 
prayer  and  of  thanksgiving,  the  feast  of  the  Finding  of 
the  Holy  Cross,  day  on  which  the  Association  was  founded 
at  Lyons,  May  3rd  of  the  year  1822,  and  the  feast  of  St. 
Francis  Xavier,  whom  it  recognizes  as  its  patron  (3  De- 
cember) ;  there  shall  be  celebrated  on  these  days  a  mass 
for  the  success  of  the  work,  in  all  the  cities  where  the 
councils  are  established. 

Art.  XV.  Each  Associate  gives  in  alms  for  the  Missions,  one  cent 
each  week. 

Art.  XVI.  The  chiefs  of  sections  collect  the  contributions  of  the 
members  of  their  section,  and  place  the  product,  the  first 
Sunday  of  each  month,  in  the  hands  of  their  chief  of 
century:  each  chief  of  section  answers  for  ten  contribu- 
tions. 

Art.  XVII.  The  chiefs  of  the  century  send  inte  the  hands  of  their 
chief  of  division  in  the  month,  the  sums  which  they  have 
received  from  the  chiefs  of  their  sections. 

Art.  XVIII.  The  chiefs  of  division  render  an  account  at  the  earliest 
meeting  of  the  council  of  which  they  form  a  part. 

Art.  XIX.  The  Superior  Council  of  the  Association  distributes  the 
funds:  it  makes  distribution  according  to  the  needs  of 
the  different  Missions. 

Art.  XX.  The  Association  publishes  a  general  bulletin  of  news  which 
comes  to  it  from  the  Missions.8 

3.  Association  de  la  Propagation  de  la  Foi,  in  the  Annales,  t.  I, 
fasc.  iii,  pp.  30-32;  Extrait  du  Keglement,  in  the  Annales,  t.  I,  fasc. 
vi,  pp.  93-96. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith          29 

In  the  month  of  July,  1822,  this  First  Rule  of  the  Society 
for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith,  was  communicated  to 
Bishop  Du  Bourg.  The  prelate  replied  by  a  letter  dated 
Washington,  January  29,  1823 : 

Gentlemen : 

It  is  quite  late  for  me  to  testify  to  the  admiration  and  the  gratitude 
which  were  excited  within  me  by  reading  the  plan  for  the  Association 
for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith,  which  your  zeal  for  the  Missions,  and 
for  my  mission  has  inspired  in  you,  and  of  which  you  have  been  kind 
enough  to  send  me  a  copy.  The  reason  of  this  delay  will  be  very  plain 
to  you  when  you  know  that  my  successive  changes  have  prevented  me  from 
reaching  home  earlier.  The  plan  of  your  Association,  Gentlemen,  praises 
your  discernment  as  much  as  your  piety.  This  ruling  body,  so  fitted  to 
facilitate  collections,  to  bring  back  all  to  unity  in  the  distribution  of 
funds  between  the  Missions  of  the  Orient  and  that  of  Louisiana  and 
that  of  Kentucky — all  looks  to  me  to  be  perfectly  conceived.  I  do  not 
doubt  that  He  who  inspired  in  you  the  courage  to  undertake  it  and  the 
wisdom  to  outline  the  plan  of  conducting  it  will  also  give  you  constancy 
enough  to  put  it  into  execution.  There  will  be  difficulties  of  detail,  a 
diversified  correspondence  to  keep  up,  which  might  fatigue  men  less 
constant  in  their  good,  or  animated  by  less  pure  views,  but  the  remem- 
brance of  how  much  difficulty  and  pain  it  cost  Jesus  Christ  for  the 
redemption  of  our  souls,  the  happiness  of  concurring  with  Him  and  His 
envoys,  in  the  salvation  of  so  many  other  whom  the  absence  of  pecuniary 
assistance  would  leave  eternally  deprived  of  this  happiness,  are  motives 
whose  strength  will  not  be  weakened  in  hearts  where  Faith  rules.4 

The  Apostle  of  Kentucky,  Bishop  Flaget,  to  whom  his 
venerable  colleague  of  New  Orleans  had  sent  a  copy  of  the 
Rule,  after  familiarizing  himself  with  it,  wrote  in  turn  to 
Lyons  : 

All  these  papers,  as  you  can  imagine,  were  received  with  joy  and 
read  and  reread  with  great  avidity.  I  admired  the  wisdom  of  the  Rule, 
its  simplicity,  and  the  incalculable  good  which  will  result  from  it.  It 
seems  to  me  that  all  Christian  kings  and  the  Sovereign  Pontiff  himself, 
should  be  the  first  to  encourage  it.  Those  who  have  concurred  in  the 
formation  of  this  vast  plan  to  propagate  our  holy  religion  merit  all 
our  gratitude.5 


4.  GUASCO,  op.   cit.,  p.  41,   1911. 

5.  GUASCO,  op.  cit.,  p.  42,  1911. 


30          The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

Acting  upon  the  advice  of  the  American  prelates,  as  well 
as  by  the  experience  the  leaders  of  the  Society  had  gained 
in  these  early  years,  a  revision  of  the  Rules  was  made,  the 
Second  Rule  was  published  in  April,  1834. 

REVISED  RULES 

The  members  of  the  two  Councils  of  Paris  and  of  Lyons,  having 
believed  it  to  be  fitting  to  revise  the  Constitutional  (constitutif)  Rule 
of  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  which  is  nothing  other 
than  a  concurrence  of  alms  and  of  prayers  in  favor  of  the  Catholic 
Missionaries  who  carry  the  torch  of  faith  into  the  countries  across 
the  sea, 

Adopt  in  the  following  terms  the  rule  which  constitutes  it: 

ARTICLE  ONE 

The  Society  of  piety  and  of  charity  called  the  Propagation  of 
the  Faith  has  for  its  unique  object  to  aid  by  its  prayers  and  its  alms 
the  Catholic  Missionaries  charged  with  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel  in 
the  countries  across  the  sea. 

ARTICLE    Two 

To  call  down  graces  from  on  high  upon  the  men  who  devote  them- 
selves to  the  foreign  Missions,  upon  their  work  and  upon  the  Society 
which  must  contribute  to  their  success,  one  (each  member)  will  recite 
every  day  an  Our  Father  and  a  Hail  Mary;  it  will  suffice  to  apply  to 
this  intention,  and  once  for  all,  the  Our  Father  and  the  Hail  Mary  of 
the  morning  or  the  night  prayers.  One  will  join  to  this  each  time  the 
invocation:  St.  Francis  Xavier,  pray  for  us. 

ARTICLE  THREE 
The  alms  or  subscription  is  one  cent  a  week. 

ARTICLE  FOUR 

The  total  of  the  subscriptions  is  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  two 
cashiers  residing  one  at  Paris  and  the  other  at  Lyons. 

ARTICLE  FIVE 

The  Councils,  of  which  there  are  only  two,  one  at  Paris  and  the 
other  at  Lyons,  are  each  composed  of  eight  members  and  of  a  cashier 
who  has  a  deliberative  voice. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith          31 

Each  Council  is  self-recruiting  by  voice  of  election;  it  chooses  its 
President  and  its  cashier  and  comes  to  an  understanding  with  the  other 
Council  concerning  the  division  (repartition)  of  the  funds  between  the 
different  missions. 

ARTICLE  Six 

The  functions  of  the  President  endure  five  years,  those  of  the 
cashier  only  cease  by  death,  revocation  or  resignation. 

Each  member  of  the  Council  is  named  for  seven  years  at  the 
end  of  which  the  replacement  takes  place  without  there  being  here  any 
matter  of  dispute. 

With  regard  to  the  members  actually  in  service  lot  will  indicate 
each  year,  during  seven  years,  the  one  among  them  who  should  cease 
to  participate  in  the  Council. 

All  these  functions  are  essentially  gratuitous. 

ARTICLE  SEVEN 

The  faithful  who  contribute  to  this  good  work  and  who  are  not 
members  of  the  two  Councils,  are  and  remain  entirely  foreign  to  the 
administration. 

They  are  simply  subscribers. 

This  disposition  applies  to  persons  who  receive  alms. 

Moreover,  there  do  not  exist  among  the  subscribers,  even 
among  those  of  the  same  city,  of  the  same  parish,  or  who  place  their 
contribution  with  the  same  person,  any  other  bonds  than  the  union  of 
their  prayers  and  of  their  alms. 

The  Society  has  no  place  for  any  meeting,  either  general  or 
particular,  even  among  the  subscribers  who  reside  in  the  same  parish 
or  who  pay  to  the  same  person. 

* 

ARTICLE  EIGHT 

The  two  Councils,  in  order  to  facilitate  their  collections,  will, 
conjointly  with  the  Council  to  which  they  are  attached,  designate  in 
each  diocese  a  subscriber  who  there  collects  the  sums  given. 

All  persons,  who  at  the  present  time  are  willing  to  take  the  pains 
to  collect  the  alms,  are  requested  to  continue,  as  in  the  past,  their  careful 
attention  in  this  collection.  •* 

ARTICLE  NINE 

The  news  received  from  the  Mission  is  published  under  the 
direction  of  the  two  Councils,  in  a  publication  (recueil)  destined  to 
continue  the  Lettres  Edifiantes,  under  the  title  of  the  Annales  de  la 


32          The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

Propagation  de  la  Foi.  This  publication,  moreover,  includes  every  year 
the  statement  of  the  alms  collected  by  dioceses  and  their  distribution  to 
the  different  Missions. 

Subscribers  are  enabled  to  read  the  Annales  gratuitously. 

ARTICLE  TEN 

Subscribers  are  invited  to  assist  at  mass  the  day  of  the  feast 
of  the  Finding  of  the  Holy  Cross,  the  anniversary  of  the  foundation  of 
the  Society  in  the  City  of  Lyons  in  1822,  and  the  day  of  the  feast  of 
St.  Francis  Xavier,  the  Apostle  of  India. 

ARTICLE-  ELEVEN 

All  the  ancient  rules  and  prospectuses  of  the  Society  for  the 
Propagation  of  the  Faith  are  and  remain  abrogated." 

The  Rule  itself  evidences  the  fact  that  the  Society  has  for 
its  end  the  extension  of  the  flock  of  the  faithful  by  all 
means  in  its  power,  particularly  by  aiding  missionaries 
charged  with  spreading  the  light  of  the  Gospel  among  the 
foreign  nations  of  both  hemispheres.  This  aid  took  the  form 
of  prayers  and  offerings  from  the  faithful.  The  motive  behind 
the  activity  of  the  Society  is  to  procure  for  men  eternal  salva- 
tion, to  substitute  civilization  for  barbarism  and  to  relieve 
innumerable  misfortunes.7  The  Society  for  the  Propagation 
of  the  Faith  takes  no  part,  however,  in  selecting  these  mis- 
sionaries, or  in  appointing  them  to  their  fields.  It  does  not 
train  them  for  their  duties,  and  it  does  not  concern  itself  with 
the  spiritual  administration  of  the  Missions.  These  functions 
are  all  performed  by  the  usual  Church  authorities.8  The 
Society  engaged  itself  solely,  from  the  beginning,  in  the  col- 
lection and  distribution  of  temporal  resources  of  charity  in 
flie  service  of  the  Apostolate.  It  proposed  to  facilitate  the 
departure  of  the  missionaries  by  paying  their  passage,  the 
expense  of  which  reached  an  enormous  figure,  especially  for 
long  voyages.  Each  Associate  undertook  to  say  for  the  inten- 

6.  Supplement  to  the  Annales,  April,  1834,  t.  VII,  fasc.  XXXVI, 
pp.  1-4. 

7.  Prospectus  printed  in  Lyons,  May,  1835,  quoted  in  GUASCO,  op. 
cit.,  p.  15,  1911. 

8.  FRERI,  op.  cit.,  p.  12,  1812;  iUd.,  in  the  Annals,  vol.  LXXXV, 
p.  51,  1922. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith          33 

tion  of  the  Mission  an  Our  Father  and  Hail  Mary  with  the 
invocation :  St.  Francis  Xavier  pray  for  us,  each  day :  and  to 
contribute  a  penny  a  week  for  the  Missions.  The  bases,  there- 
fore, of  the  Society  were  and  are  prayer  for  each  day  and  a 
cent  each  week.  No  limits  were  placed  upon  its  field ;  for  the 
Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  has  always  been 
ready,  to  the  full  extent  of  its  powers,  to  assist  all  the  Catholic 
Missions  in  whatever  part  of  the  world  they  may  be  situated  or 
to  whatever  nationality  the  missionaries  evangelizing  them 
may  belong.0  However,  as  soon  as  the  Missions  are  in  the 
least  degree  able  to  help  themselves,  the  Society  gradually 
withdraws  its  aid,  because  the  demands  are  many  and  the 
resources  inadequate.  It  is  not  the  aim  of  the  Society  to  help 
those  countries  which  are  generally  known  as  Catholic  coun- 
tries, however  great  their  needs  may  be :  for  that  reason 
France,  Italy,  Austria,  Spain,  etc.,  have  never  received  any 
help  from  it.10  Only  the  requests  of  bishops,  vicars  apostolic 
and  superiors  of  religious  in  charge  of  Missions  are  considered 
by  the  Councils,  and  such  petitions,  whether  acted  upon  favor- 
ably or  unfavorably,  must  be  renewed  every  year.  Founded 
by  the  laity,  the  administration  of  the  Society  for  the  Propa- 
gation of  the  Faith  is  almost  entirely  in  their  hands,  few 
priests  have  taken  an  active  part  in  its  councils.11  This  fact  is 
important,  for  it  shows  that  the  Society,  wholly  spiritual  in  its 
end,  without  any  other  object  than  the  salvation  of  souls  and 
the  transmission  of  the  Gospel  to  entire  nations  among  whom 
the  torch  of  faith  has  never  yet  shone,  an  institution  solemnly 
approved  by  the  Supreme  Chief  of  the  Church,  and  making 
the  name  of  France  cherished  in  every  part  of  the  world  has 
been  from  the  beginning  a  distinctly  lay  organization.12 

M.  Alexandre  Guasco,  the  General  Secretary  of  the  Central 
Council,  calls  the  Society  a  work  of  faith,  of  zeal,  of  charity 


9.  FRERI,  op.  cit.,  p.  15,  1912;  ibid.,  in  the  Annals,  vol.  LXXXV, 
p.  56,  1922. 

10.  FRERI,  ut  supra. 

11.  FRERI,  op.  cit.,  p.  14,  1912;  ibid.,  in  the  Annals,  vol.  LXXXV, 
p.  54,  1922, 

12.  Annales,  t.  II,  p.  81. 


34  The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

and  of  patriotism.  "How  much  good  of  all  kinds,"  he  says, 
"has  befallen  us  through  the  work  of  our  missionaries,  who 
with  our  help  have  gone  forth  to  carry  far  the  name  of  our 
country,  have  won  sympathy  for  it  and  have  contributed  to 
assure  it  material  riches." 

In  an  article  written  for  L'Echo  de  Paris,  Baudrillart 
throws  considerable  light  upon  the  patriotic  attitude  of  the 
French  missionary.14  "From  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith," 
he  says,  * '  comes  in  the  greater  part  the  material  and  financial 
resources  of  the  Catholic  Missions  for  the  entire  world,  and 
these  resources,  collected  throughout  all  the  universe,  are 
united  and  divided  .by  the  Councils  of  Paris  and  of  Lyons. 
It  follows  that  all  the  missionaries,  of  whatever  nationality 
they  may  be,  and  in  whatever  country  they  may  labor,  depend 
in  an  appreciable  measure  upon  this  French  centre.  Another 
consequence  is  that  not  only  French  interests  engaged  in 
Catholic  Missions  are  particularly  safeguarded,  but  the 
French  missionaries  are  subsidized  by  the  Catholics  of  foreign 
nationality. 

"It  is  not  possible  to  separate  the  missionary  and  his 
nationality  and  to  prevent  the  latter  from  profiting  from  the 
labor  of  the  former,  it  follows  that  even  today  the  French 
interests  evidently  engaged  in  the  Catholic  Missions  are  sus- 
tained to  an  important  extent  by  the  money  of  foreign 
Catholics.  For  if  France  furnishes  two-thirds  of  the  per- 
sonnel it  contributes  only  a  third  of  the  pecuniary  subsidies. ' ' 

The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  met  with 
difficulties  at  the  very  beginning.  The  first  of  these  is  the 
scandal  caused  by  Father  Inglesi.  Father  Inglesi,  Honorary 
Vicar-General  of  New  Orleans,  whose  visit  to  Lyons  had  been 
the  occasion  of  the  foundation  of  the  Society,  now  proved  to 
be  the  source  of  one  of  its  gravest  dangers.  An  enlightening 
note  on  Father  Inglesi 's  misappropriation  of  some  of  the 
early  funds  of  the  Society  entrusted  to  his  care  is  found  in  a 
letter  from  Bishop  Plcssis  of  Quebec,  dated  October  25,  1824, 


13.  GUASCO,  op.  tit.,  p.  15,  1911. 

14.  BAUDRILLART,  in  the  Echo  de  Paris,  Feb.  14,  1921. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith          35 

written  to  Archbishop  Marechal:  ''Bishop  Du  Bourg  has  not 
written  me  since  I  enlightened  him  concerning  Inglesi  who 
grossly  deceived  him.  It  is  said,  and  I  am  extremely  grieved 
to  hear  it,  that  the  prelate  has  done  evil  in  his  temporal  affairs 
and  finds  himself  embarrassed  with  large  debts  contracted  by 
his  establishment  at  St.  Louis,  Missouri."  Unfortunately, 
there  had  been  placed  in  his  hands  at  Lyons  and  elsewhere 
considerable  alms  of  which  he  never  rendered  account.  A 
letter  from  Monsignor  Du  Bourg  unveiled  his  artifice  and 
his  improbity.  None  of  the  money  which  had  been  confided 
to  him  could  be  obtained,  and  it  was  necessary  to  keep  silent 
concerning  these  unworthy  and  false  representatives,  in  order 
not  to  compromise  a  work  happily  established  and  one  which 
was  of  such  great  assistance  for  the  distant  Missions.  The 
directors  of  the  Society  thereafter  employed  the  wisest  meas- 
ures to  shield  the  fund  from  all  cupidity.  Inglesi  did  not 
profit  long  by  his  iniquity,  for  at  the  close  of  a  few  months, 
although  he  was  in  the  full  vigor  of  age  and  health,  he  was 
called  to  render  an  account  of  his  stewardship  before  the 
just  Judge.16  Opposition  arose  also  from  a  place  the  least 
suspected — the  Chamber  of  Deputies  at  Paris.  The  Society 
was  attacked  as  a  secret  organization  managed  by  the  Jesuits." 
An  answer  was  promptly  made  to  this  attack,  and  Parisian 
Catholics  were  encouraged  by  the  brilliant  defence  by  Mon- 
seigneur  Frayssinous,  Minister  of  Ecclesiastical  Affairs  in 
the  realm.18 

"Certainly  it  was  a  most  Christian,  most  noble,  and  most 
wise  political  thought,"  he  said,  which  Louis  XIV  conceived 
in  founding  at  Paris  itself  a  house  for  the  Missions-Btrang- 
eres.  This  institution  was  destined  to  carry  to  the  very 
furthermost  parts  of  the  Orient  the  glory  of  the  French  name, 
as  well  as  the  light  of  the  Gospel.  * '  This  house  still  exists ; 


15.  This  letter  was  located  in  the   archives   of  the   Seminaire  de 
Saint-Sulpice,  Paris. 

16.  CARDINAL  VILLECOURT,  quoted  in  MAURIN,  op.  cit.,  p.  112,  Paris, 
1892. 

17.  LAUNAY,  Histoire  Generate  de  la  Societe  des  Missions  fitrangeres 
t.  II,  p.  518;  GUASCO,  op.  cit.,  p.  48,  1911. 

18.  GUASCO,  op.  cit.,  pp.  48-49,  1911. 


36  The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

it  has  survived  our  religious  and  political  storms;  not,  how- 
ever, without  having  suffered  most  serious  results  from  them. 
It  no  longer  has  the  same  subsidy  nor  the  same  resources.  It 
is  a  matter  of  common  knowledge  that  zeal  for  the  Propaga- 
tion of  the  Faith  has  at  all  times  been  one  of  the  characteristics 
of  the  Christian  Church.  It  is  by  this  zeal  that  the  Gospel 
must  successively  make  the  conquest  of  the  world,  the  Faith 
must  triumph  over  idolatry  and  everywhere  the  Kingdom 
of  Christ  must  be  established.  It  is  this  same  zeal  which  took 
possession  of  some  ecclesiastics  and  pious  laymen  of  Lyons. 
They  saw  that  the  Foreign  Missions  were  menaced  with  deca- 
dence. They  conceived  the  idea  of  forming  an  Association  to 
support  the  Missions  and  procure  assistance  for  them.  This 
Association  took  the  name  of  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith. 
There  is  nothing  mysterious  in  this  name.  It  is  not  new.  At 
Rome  there  is  the  Sacred  Congregation  de  Propaganda  Fide, 
at  the  head  of  which  is  a  member  of  the  Sacred  College.  The 
authors  of  the  project,  he  continues,  had  sent  their  prospectus 
into  the  different  dioceses  and  addressed  it  to  almost  all  our 
bishops.  Many  of  them  have  adopted  this  work.  It  was  very 
necessary  to  organize  the  Association  and  to  make  a  unit  of 
it,  to  find  means  of  collecting  the  alms  of  the  faithful  and 
having  them  reach  their  destination. ' '  Frayssinous  pointed 
out  that  it  was  not  a  question  of  a  contribution  but  of  a 
perfectly  voluntary  offering.  The  mites  of  the  poor  as  well 
as  the  gold  of  the  rich  were  given.  Nothing  could  be  more 
in  conformity  with  the  spirit  of  Christianity,  since  similar 
collections  were  made  at  its  very  origin  to  relieve  the  poor 
of  Jerusalem.  In  this  there  was  nothing  secret,  nothing 
political.  Every  year  the  results  of  the  collections  were  being 
published  and  up  to  that  time  the  largest  amount  raised  by 
the  whole  of  France  was  only  80,000  francs.  The  use  of  this 
money  was  made  known  and  even  the  correspondence  main- 
tained with  the  missionaries  in  the  two  hemispheres  was 
published.  Sums  have  been  sent  to  the  Orient  to  assist 
Christians  and  to  provide  the  necessary  establishments:  they 


19.  Annales,  t.  Ill,  pp.  103-105,  1828. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith          37 

have  been  sent  to  North  and  South  America,  into  the  provinces 
of  Kentucky  and  into  Louisiana,  over  which,  as  he  emphasized, 
a  French  bishop,  Mgr.  Du  Bourg,  a  man  of  very  rare  mind 
and  capacity,  presided.  In  all  of  this,  there  was  nothing 
extraordinary,  and  so,  the  Chamber  had  no  reason  for  becom- 
ing alarmed.  No  one  could  say  that  this  Association  was  a 
state  within  the  State. 

The  Society  was  also  attacked  in  the  press  in  1826,  and 
it  is  to  this  attack  also  that  Frayssinous  replied  on  May  25 
of  this  same  year  in  his  address  to  the  Chamber,  from  which 
we  have  quoted.  In  1836  those  who  took  offence  at  the 
progress  of  the  Society  went  so  far  as  to  pretend  that  the 
larger  part  of  the  sums  collected  from  the  faithful  of  France 
for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  and  for  the  defense  of  the 
Church,  sums  which  were  necessary  for  persecuted  Catholics 
and  for  other  pious  objects,  went  almost  exclusively  to  pay  the 
expenses  of  the  Infant  of  Portugal.  Frayssinous  replied  that 
in  Portugal  the  accusation  of  making  a  collection  for  Don 
Miguel  had  been  taken  up,  and  that  it  was  fully  answered  by 
the  publicity  given  the  disbursements  in  the  Annales.  The 
Ami  de  la  Religion  replied  to  these  absurd  attacks  in  taking 
as  a  basic  principle  for  its  response  the  fact  that  the  disburse- 
ments had  been  published  every  year.  Moreover,  in  the  midst 
of  political  agitation  the  Society  was  for  a  long  time  pro- 
scribed in  a  Catholic  country,  Spain.20 

The  publicity  to  the  allocations  which  the  administrators 
of  the  Society  had  given  from  the  very  beginning,  has  been, 
during  the  term  of  its  long  existence,  a  safeguard  of  the 
Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  as  far  as  Govern- 
ment, subscribers  and  beneficiaries  are  concerned.  The 
calumnies  have  passed,  and  if,  in  remote  instances,  up  to  our 
epoch,  articles  have  appeared  which  were  based  on  misin- 
formation, there  has  been  neither  an  echo  nor  any  consequence 
to  it.  In  spite  of  these  and  other  attacks  raised  against  the 
Society,  its  progress  was  phenomenal  from  the  very  beginning. 
"In  proportion  as  it  is  added  to  the  number  of  its  years," 


20.  GUASCO,  op.  cit.,  p.  50,  1911. 


38          The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

said  the  official  statement  of  1841,  published  in  the  Annales 
of  1842,  ''our  Society  was  blessed  by  Heaven  and  multiplied 
its  progress.  It  is  a  river  which  continues  to  become  larger 
as  it  recedes  from  its  source.  And  just  as  the  last  total  col- 
lection far  exceeded  the  preceding  ones,  so  also  day  by  day 
the  final  statement  gives  way  before  a  higher  amount. ' '  The 
formal'  approval  given  to  the  Central  Councils  by  the  Holy 
See,  the  constant  encouragement  of  the  episcopate  of  the 
world,  the  gratitude  of  missionaries,  and  the  efforts  of  the 
most  illustrious  among  men  to  support  and  spread  it  by  their 
words  and  their  writings  permitted  the  Society  for  the  Prop- 
agation' of  the  Faith  to  establish  itself  firmly  during  the 
first  twenty  years  of  its  existence. 

As  Leo  XIII  pointed  out  in  his  Encyclical  Sancta  Dei 
civitas  of  December  3,  1880,  the  success  of  the  Society  for  the 
Propagation  of  the  Faith  inspired  many  others  in  different 
countries  to  organize  similar  institutions.22  In  France,  for 
example,  there  were  founded  shortly  after  the  beginning  of 
the  Lyons  Society,  two  others  with  similar  ends:  there  were 
the  Association  of  the  Holy  Childhood,  and  the  Schools  of  the 
Orient.  At  Vienna  the  Leopoldine  Association  was  founded 
in  1828-29  with  the  same  purpose;  and  at  Munich,  the 
Ludwig-Missionsverein  was  started  in  1838.  "At  the  same 
time,"  wrote  Leo  XIII,  "due  to  the  emulation  of  piety,  two 
other  societies  were  formed,  one  called  the  Holy  Childhood 
of  Jesus  and  the  other  the  Schools  of  the  Orient.  The  former 
proposes  to  save  and  to  lead  to  Christian  habits  unfortunate 
children  whom  their  parents,  driven  by  sloth  or  by  misery, 
inhumanely  leave  unprotected,  especially  in  the  regions  of 
China  where  this  barbarous  custom  still  prevails.  These 
infants  are  saved  by  the  charity  of  the  faithful  and  at  times 
redeemed  by  being  washed  in  the  waters  of  Christian  regen- 
eration. 


21.  Compte  Eendu  de  1841,  in  the  Annales,  t.  p.  1842. 

22.  LEO    XIII,    Encyclical    Letter    Sancta    Dei    Civitas,    in    the 
Annales,  t.  LIII,  pp.  79-94;  Missions  Catholiques,  t.  XII,  pp.  613-618, 

1880. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith          39 

These  Societies  came  to  the  aid  of  the  older  Society,  the 
Propagation  of  the  Faith,  and  were  united  to  it  by  a  cordial 
agreement;  they  have  the  same  end,  and  likewise  rely  on  the 
alms  and  prayers  of  Christian  people.  All  three  have  for 
their  object  to  bring  by  the  diffusion  of  the  light  of  the 
Gospel,  the  largest  possible  number  of  those  outside  of  the 
Church  to  know  God  and  to  adore  Him,  and  Him  whom  He 
has  sent,  Jesus  Christ. 

The  Association  of  the  Holy  Childhood  is  a  children's 
association  for  the  benefit  of  Foreign  Missions.  Some  twenty 
years  after  the  foundation  of  the  Society  for  the  Propagation 
of  the  Faith  (1843),  Bishop  Charles  de  Forbin-Janson,  of 
Nancy,  established  the  Society  of  the  Holy  Childhood  (Asso- 
ciation de  la  Sainte  Enfance},  for  the  twofold  purpose  of 
rallying  around  the  Infant  Jesus  little  children  from  their 
tenderest  years,  and  of  encouraging  them  by  the  practice  of 
charity  to  co-operate  in  saving  from  death  and  sin  the  many 
thousands  of  children  in  pagan  countries  who  are  neglected 
by  their  parents  and  cast  away  unbaptized.  The  further 
object  of  the  association  is  to  procure  baptism  for  those 
abandoned  little  ones,  and,  should  they  live,  to  make  of  them 
craftsmen,  teachers,  doctors  or  priests,  who  in  turn  will  spread 
the  blessings  of  the  Christian  religion  amongst  their  country- 
men. Children  become  members  of  the  association  immedi- 
ately after  baptism,  and  may  continue  in  membership  for  the 
remainder  of  their  lives,  but  at  the  age  of  twenty-one,  in 
order  to  share  in  the  indulgences,  it  is  necessary  to  become 
also  a  member  of  the  Association  for  the  Propagation 
of  the  Faith.  The  monthly  contribution  is  one  cent,  or  a 
yearly  contribution  of  twelve  cents,  and  the  members  recite 
daily  one  Hail  Mary  with  the  addition,  Holy  Virgin  Mary, 
pray  for  us  and  for  the  poor  pagan  children.  Until  the  chil- 
dren are  able  to  do  this  themselves  their  relatives  do  it  for 
them.  The  affairs  of  the  Holy  Childhood  are  managed  by 
an  international  council  at  Paris,  France,  consisting  of  fifteen 
priests  and  as  many  laymen,  with  a  general  director  as 


40          The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

the  presiding  officer.  It  is  estimated  that  at  the  present 
time  there  are  enrolled  in  the  Association  about  seven  mil- 
lion Catholic  children.  Fully  thirty-two  millions  of  dollars 
are  the  result  of  their  generosity,  and  about  eighteen  millions 
of  pagan  children  have  thus  been  saved  to  the  Church.23 

The  Society  of  the  Schools  of  the  Orient  was  founded  in 
1855-56  to  assist  the  schools,  orphanages,  asylums  of  the 
countries  of  the  East.  During  later  years,  as  a  consequence 
of  the  special  preoccupations  of  Pope  Leo  XIII,  its  object 
has  been  made  more  precise.  It  labors  to  maintain  and  propa- 
gate the  union  of  the  churches  by  the  education  of  the  new 
generation  and  especially  by  the  formation  of  a  good  clergy 
in  the  different  oriental  rites.  Its  budget  has  rather  great 
and  irregular  fluctuations  due,  no  doubt,  to  the  fact  that 
it  is  not  so  well  known  as  the  preceding  societies.  The  total 
of  its  ordinary  subscriptions  from  1855  to  1899  has  been 
10,650,000  fr.  of  which  9,890,000  f r.  were  furnished  by  France. 
It  is  also  helped  by  the  French  Government. 

The  Apostolic  Society  under  the  patronage  of  the  Holy 
Women  of  the  Gospel  was  founded  in  1838  at  Orleans  by 
Mile.  Duchesne,  who  consecrated  her  life  to  it.  Its  purpose 
is  to  furnish  vestments  and  altar  linens  to  the  Missions.  At 
the  end  of  thirty  years  the  Society  had  been  established 
in  thirty-two  cities. 

The  Leopoldine  Association  is  the  direct  result  of  a  cry 
for  urgent  help  from  Father  Frederic  Rese,  then  Vicar-Gen- 
eral of  Cincinnati  and  later  first  Bishop  of  Detroit.  In  1828, 
he  went  to  Europe  to  solicit  priests  as  well  as  funds  for  the 
Ohio  Missions,  a  territory  as  large  as  France,  and  in  which 
only  sixteen  priests  were'  ministering  to  40,000  Catholics. 
The  Prince- Archbishop  of  Vienna,  Leopold-Maxmilian  became 
enthusiastic  over  the  project  of  organizing  a  special  society 
for  the  support  of  American  Missions  and  to  this  end  obtained 
an  audience  for  Father  Rese  with  the  Emperor  Francis  I. 


23.  WILLMS,  Holy  Childhood,  in  the  Catholic  Encyclopedia,  vol. 
VII,  pp.  399-400;  Of.  LOUVET,  op.  cit.,  pp.  12a-16a;  PIOLET,  Nos 
Missions  ct  Nos  Missionaires,  p.  15. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith          41 

By  a  bull  Quamquam  plura  sint  dated  January  30,  1829, 
Pope  Leo  XII  sanctioned  the  proposed  society,  and  it  was 
officially  established  on  May  13,  1829,  in  the  Archbishop's 
palace  at  Vienna.  In  his  address  before  the  select  assembly, 
Father  Rese  said :  * '  The  Catholics  of  North  America,  especi- 
ally of  Ohio,  Michigan  and  the  Northwest,  appeal  to  you 
through  me,  that  you  might  become  their  helping  angels." 
The  Society  was  christened  Leopoldinen-Stiftung  to  com- 
memorate the  beautiful  life  of  the  Archduchess  Leopoldina, 
daughter  of  Francis  I,  who  died  in  America  as  Empress  of 
Brazil,  having  been  the  wife  of  Emperor  Pedro  I  of  Brazil. 
The  objects  of  the  society,  as  briefly  stated  in  its  statutes,  are : 
The  promotion  of  greater  efficiency  in  the  Catholic  Missions 
of  America,  and  the  participation  and  the  edification  of  the 
faithful  in  extending  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  unto  the 
remotest  regions  of  the  earth.  The  means  selected  to  attain 
these  ends  were,  as  with  the  Lyons  Society,  prayer  and  alms- 
deeds.  Every  member  obliges  himself  to  recite  daily  one  Our 
Father  and  the  Angelus,  with  the  added  petition :  St.  Leopold, 
pray  for  us. 

To  collect  funds  the  Lyons  method  was  followed. 
Circles  of  ten  members  were  formed  in  all  the  parishes 
throughout  the  Empire  and  the  promoter  of  each  circle  would 
deliver  the  collected  moneys  to  the  respective  pastor,  who  in 
turn  would  send  them  to  the  local  dean  and  the  latter  would 
deliver  these  funds  to  the  Ordinary  every  three  months.  The 
Bishops  would  then  send  their  reports  to  the  Central  Bureau 
at  Vienna.  The  total  receipts  of  the  first  year  amounted  to 
49,823  fl.  Every  year  the  entire  Austrian  clergy  was  re- 
quested to  appeal  to  their  congregations  on  the  Feast  of  St. 
Leopold  for  contributions  toward  the  support  of  American 
Missions.  It  has  been  carefully  estimated  that  within  the 
first  decade  of  its  existence  (1829-1839),  this  society  had 
contributed  to  the  American  Missions  the  sum  of  $220,000. 
Let  us  not  forget  that  the  bulk  of  these  contributions 
came  from  the  laboring  classes  and  from  servant  girls, 
although  the  nobility  also  contributed  generously.  In  addi- 


42          The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

tion  to  the  actual  funds,  the  Leopoldine  Association  sent  many 
religious  articles  every  few  months,  such  as  books,  chalices, 
copes,  vestments,  rosaries,  oil  stocks,  paintings,  bells,  censors, 
altar  linens,  crucifixes,  etc.,  to  the  Missions  in  America.24 

The  Ludwig-Missionsverein  was  begun  in  the  year  1828, 
when  the  Reverend  Frederic  Rese,  Vicar-General  of  Cincin- 
nati, went  to  Munich  to  ask  help  for  the  Mission  work  in  the 
United  States.  With  the  sanction  of  King  Louis  I  of  Bavaria, 
voluntary  offerings  for  the  assistance  of  American  and  of 
Asiatic  Missions  were  collected.  But  the  contributions  were 
confined  chiefly  to  the  clergy  of  the  eight  dioceses  of  Bavaria. 
The  money,  up  to  the  year  1838,  approximately  15,000  fl. 
(25,800  marks),  was  deposited  with  the  Archbishop  of 
Munich-Freising,  and  thence  sent  direct  to  Vicar-General 
Rese  in  Cincinnati.  During  this  time  the  knowledge  of  the 
work  being  done  by  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the 
Faith,  was  being  spread  among  the  laity  of  Bavaria  by  the 
German  edition  of  the  Annales.  Since  the  organizing  of 
societies  and  the  gathering  of  money  was  at  that  time  for- 
bidden in  Bavaria,  Father  Stumpf,  of  the  Cathedral,  was 
asked  by  his  superiors  to  account  for  his  activity  in  behalf 
of  the  Society  of  Lyons.  Meantime,  Rese  had  returned  to 
Munich,  and  this  time  with  a  plan  for  the  unification  of  the 
various  organizations  existing  in  Bavaria  and  dedicated  to  the 
extension  of  the  Catholic  Faith  by  assisting  Foreign  Missions. 
In  this  way,  he  hoped  to  increase  the  contributions.  To  put 
his  plan  into  execution,  he  addressed  a  petition  to  King  Louis 
I  on  April  22,  1838,  asking  that  the  Mission  society  already 
existing  in  a  large  part  of  Bavaria  be  reorganized  into  a 
general  society  extending  over  the  whole  of  Bavaria,  which 
would  then  be  constituted  as  a  self -sufficient  and  independent 
Bavarian  society  under  royal  protection,  but  at  the  same  time 
empowered  to  establish  relations  with  the  Holy  See,  with  the 
Leopoldinen-Stiftung  in  Austria  and  with  every  other  German 


24.  EPSTEIN,    The    T^eopoldine    Association,    etc.,    in    the    Illinois 

1920;   Cf. 
Unis,    pp. 


'  .*-rt><-'£/L/C>l*PftC'  AlOaWVfVVWOTVt  OC't/..  HI  til1 

Catholic  Historical  Review,  vol.  Ill,  no.   i,  pp.  88-92,  July,   1920;   Cf. 
DE    MEAUX,    L  'figlise    Catholique    et    la    Liberte    aux    Mats- 


244-245,  Paris,  1893. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith          43 

society  of  a  similar  kind.  Both  petition  and  statutes  were 
first  officially  submitted  to  the  Archbishop  of  Munich-Freising 
for  his  approval.  They  were  given  with  the  highest  recommen- 
dation. Two  months  later  (July  17),  royal  sanction  was 
granted.  The  statutes  of  the  new  society  were  sanctioned  on 
December  12,  1838,  by  the  King.  The  means  chosen  were 
the  same  as  those  of  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the 
Faith,  and  the  same  process  of  collection  was  adhered  to;  of 
these  funds,  two-thirds  of  the  contributions  were  assigned  to 
the  needs  of  the  Missions  in  Asia  and  in  North  America,  and 
one-third  for  the  Fathers  in  charge  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre, 
at  Jerusalem.28 

Rapid  as  has  been  the  growth  of  the  offerings  to  the 
Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith,  it  has  been  below 
that  of  similar  Protestant  Societies.  These  Protestant  So- 
cieties had,  it  is  true,  begun  earlier;  but  even  today,  the 
abundance  of  offerings  in  the  Catholic  Societies  cannot  be  com- 
pared to  the  liberality  of  our  separated  brethren. 

All  the  great  sects  of  Protestantism  have  their  mission- 
aries and  their  budget.  They  consider  that  the  propagation 
of  the  Christian  Faith  is  an  absolute  duty  for  every  Christian, 
and  their  catechisms,  so  light  in  doctrine,  have  a  lesson 
destined  to  explain  this  obligation  of  conscience.  Moreover, 
the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel  of  London  (8. 
P.  6r.),  prints  and  furnishes  freely,  all  the  books  necessary 
for  the  Missions.  In  the  month  of  February,  1836,  the  Asiatic 
Journal  of  London  published  in  the  statement  of  the  sums 
received  during  the  course  of  the  year  1836  by  the  Bible 
societies  and  the  committees  of  different  Protestant  Missions. 
The  receipts  amounted  to  about  20,000,000  francs  or  778,035 


25.  SCHABERT,  The  Ludwig-Missionsverein,  in  the  Catholic  nis- 
torical  Review,  p.  23,  April,  1922.  In  July,  1920,  I  visited  Germany  and 
attempted  to  go  to  Munich  in  order  to  carry  on  a  research  in  the 
archives  of  this  Society,  and  to  procure  their  collection  of  Annalcn  but 
since  diplomatic  negotiations  had  not  been  reestablished  with  the  Cen- 
tral Powers,  certain  parts  of  Germany  were  closed  to  strangers,  and 
no  passport  visa  would  be  given  for  Munich.  Dr.  Schabert  whom 
I  met  at  Louvain  volunteered  to  make  a  special  trip  to  Munich  where 
he  procured  all  its  publications  for  the  Catholic  University  and  from 
his  research,  procured  the  material  for  this  article. 


44          The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

pounds  sterling,  to  which  were  added  the  subscriptions  opened 
in  all  the  colonies  under  the  British  Government.  The  Annales 
de  la  Propagation  de  la  Foi  make  the  observation  on  this 
point,  that  if  one  adds  to  this  what  was  collected  in  the  United 
Kingdom  and  its  possessions,  and  the  collections  of  the  other 
Protestant  countries,  there  would  be  no  exaggeration  in  de- 
claring that  the  total  sum  collected  for  the  support  of  the 
Protestant  Missions  far  surpasses  30,000,000  francs  per  year. 
The  resources  placed  at  the  disposal  of  Protestant  action  has 
left  an  ever-increasing  record. 

According  to  an  article  which  appeared  in  the  Ami  du 
Clerge,  of  Oct.  26,  1899,  the  faithful  of  the  Anglican  Church, 
outside  of  the  gifts  offered  by  the  different  associations,  gave 
as  subscriptions  for  the  Foreign  Missions  a  sum  corresponding 
to  23,245,675  francs.  In  addition  to  the  societies  supporting 
the  personnel  there  are  those  which  distribute  books  and 
Bibles  like  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  which  in 
one  year  from  March  31,  1896,  to  March  31,  1897,  spent  a 
sum  equivalent  to  5,092,025  francs.  Let  us  also  cite  the 
Society  for  Promoting  Christian  Knowledge,  the  Church  of 
England  Zenana  Missionary  Society,  established  in  1880  for 
the  special  purpose  of  evangelizing  Indian  women,  the  Mis- 
sionary Leaves  Association,  the  Junior  Clergy  Association. 
The  total  of  the  generosities  of  English  Protestants  for  their 
missions  is  estimated  as  high  as  50,000,000  francs.  The 
United  States  had  in  1900  at  least  28  associations  for  the 
Protestant  Missions  of  different  denominations.26 

If  to  all  this  we  add  what  the  associations  of  Norway, 
Germany,  and  other  places  received  for  the  Lutheran  mis- 
sions, we  reach  a  truly  colossal  figure  for  the  total  budget  of 
all  the  Protestant  sects.  The  budget  to  the  Protestant  Foreign 
Missions  is  very  difficult  to  establish,  for  these  Missions  depend 
upon  a  large  number  of  societies  whose  data  is  almost  im- 
possible to  centralize.  It  is  conceded  however,  that  it  sur- 
passes 100,000,000  perhaps  150,000,000  francs,  a  figure  ten  or 
twelve  times  more  than  all  the  assistance  granted  to  our 

26.  GUASCO,  op.  tit.,  p.  52,  1911. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith          45 

Catholic  missionaries,  incomparably  more  numerous  and  more 
important.  Only  the  devotion  and  the  indefatigable  charity  of 
our  missionaries  maintain  the  equilibrium,  but  one  is  cer- 
tainly forced  to  admit  that  our  generosity  towards  our  foreign 
missionaries  is  nothing  in  comparison  to  that  of  the  Protes- 
tants. The  truth  is  that  the  Catholics,  save  in  a  few  French 
dioceses,  give  relatively  little  for  their  Foreign  Missions ;  that 
the  Missions  are  not  sufficiently  well  known  or  appreciated; 
that  it  would  be  fortunate  to  see  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 
in  particular  established  in  all  the  dioceses  of  the  world,  for 
which  an  official  act  of  the  Sovereign  Pontiff  is  necessary. 


46          The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 


CHAPTER  IV 

THE  ADMINISTRATION  OP  THE  SOCIETY 

The  earliest  efforts  for  aiding  the  Foreign  Missions  by 
means  of  prayer  and  alms  have  been  described  in  a  preced- 
ing chapter.  The  Societe  des  Missions  fitrangeres  carried 
on  a  campaign,  restricted  at  the  outset  to  the  fostering  of  the 
practice  of  offering  those  indulgenced  prayers  for  the  Mis- 
sion which  had  fallen  into  desuetude  since  the  Revolution, 
and  later,  through  its  leaflets,  emphasized  the  wisdom  of  the 
idea  of  the  English  Methodists,  who  were  in  the  habit  of 
contributing  a  penny  a  week  for  the  support  of  their  Missions. 
We  are  not  certain  what  methods  were  employed  by  Mme. 
Petit  in  Lyons  in  collecting  money  and  furnishings  for  the 
Dioceses  of  Bardstown  and  New  Orleans.  The  decimal  system 
so  skilfully  applied  by  Mile.  Jaricot  in  organizing  those  who 
contributed  a  cent-a-week,  into  groups  of  ten,  into  groups 
of  one  hundred,  and  into  groups  of  one  thousand,  with  a 
person  at  the  head  of  each  of  these  groups,  was  incorporated 
into  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  immediately 
after  its  foundation  in  1822.  Thus  the  person  at  the  head 
of  each  group  of  ten  received  the  contributions  from  all  the 
members  in  his  group  and  remitted  to  the  head  of  the  group 
of  one  hundred  members  the  money  he  had  received.  This 
head  of  the  group  of  one  hundred  forwarded  the  funds  he 
received  to  the  head  of  the  group  of  a  thousand  members. 

The  meeting  of  May  3,  1822,  provided  a  slightly  different 
form  of  organization  by  bringing  together  all  the  alms  in  the 
hands  of  the  Central  Council.  The  Central  Council  of  Lyons 
was  organized  on  the  day  of  the  foundation  and  it  was  soon 
felt  necessary  to  enlist  the  interest  and  cooperation  of  influ- 
ential personages  at  Paris.  In  June,  1822,  M.  Didier  Petit 
went  to  Paris  for  the  purpose  of  forming  a  Superior  Council 
of  the  Society.  In  a  special  meeting,  at  which  were  present 
the  Cardinal  Prince  de  Croy,  Grand  Chaplain  of  France, 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith          47 

Abbe  Perault,  the  Prince  of  Polignac,  the  Marquis  de  Riviere, 
the  Count  de  Senst-Pilsach,  the  Duke  of  Rohan  and  M.  de 
Haller,  Didier  Petit  explained  the  end  and  the  means  of  the 
new  institution.  These  gentlemen  accepted  the  idea  submitted 
to  them,  promising  to  devote  themselves  to  the  Society.  They 
met  on  the  27th  of  the  following  July  at  the  home  of  the 
Grand  Chaplain  of  France,  at  the  chateau  of  the  Tuileries, 
and  created  the  Central  Council  of  the  North,  with  the  special 
council  for  the  Diocese  of  Paris.1  This  Superior  Council 
ceased  to  exist  after  the  Revolution  of  1830 ;  the  two  Central 
Councils  of  Lyons  and  of  Paris  agreed  that  there  was  no 
longer  need  to  reestablish  it. 

The  Sacred  Congregation  de  Propaganda  Fide  in  a  letter 
of  February  25,  1841,  expresses  its  desire  that  the  Superior 
Council  of  the  whole  Society  be  reestablished  with  the  inten- 
tion of  placing  Cardinal  De  Bonald  at  its  head.  The  reason 
given  for  this  was  that  the  two  Councils  of  Lyons  and  Paris 
may  not  be  in  conflict ;  that  greater  unity  may  be  attained  and 
somewhat  greater  deference  may  be  shown  to  Propaganda  on 
whom  all  Missions  depend.  Cardinal  De  Bonald  was  pre- 
ferred not  because  he  was  Archbishop  but  because  of  his  high 
office  as  a  Cardinal,  and  it  was  recalled  that  the  former  Presi- 
dent of  the  Superior  Council  had  been  Cardinal  Prince  de 
Croy,  Grand  Chaplain  of  France.  Since  the  Society  had 
become  universal,  its  control  should  be  entrusted  to  a  Car- 
dinal of  the  Church.  It  appears  also  that  there  had  been 
some  opposition  made  by  the  Council  of  Paris  to  the  subsidies 
for  the  Missions  of  Europe,  and  a  certain  amount  of  par- 
simony was  displayed  notwithstanding  the  wishes  of  the  Holy 
See.2  With  the  disappearance  of  the  Superior  Council  at 
Paris  that  part  of  the  Rule  which  provided  that  the  Superior 
Council  of  the  Association  was  to  distribute  the  funds  accord- 
ing to  the  needs  of  the  different  Missions  was  no  longer  opera- 
tive. Article  4  of  the  Revised  Rules  of  1834  provided  that 


1.  GUASCO,  op.  tit.,  p.  25,  1911. 

2.  Propaganda   transcripts,  Documento  XXXIII  Ms,  Lettera  della 
8.    C.,  'Vol.    325,    Fol.    146v,    Monsignor   Garibaldi    Nunzio    Apostolico, 
Parigi,  25  Febraro,  1841. 


48          The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

the  total  of  the  subscriptions  be  placed  in  the  hands  of  the 
two  cashiers  residing  one  at  Paris  and  one  at  Lyons.8  A 
provision  for  forwarding  the  alms  from  the  members  to  the 
Councils  is  made  in  Article  8 :  ' '  The  two  Councils,  in  order 
to  facilitate  their  collections,  conjointly  with  the  Council  to 
which  they  are  attached,  will  designate  in  each  diocese  a 
subscriber  who  collects  there  the  sums  donated. ' ' 

The  present  custom  of  collecting  and  assembling  the  con- 
tributions is  explained  in  a  communication  to  me  from  M. 
Guasco,  the  General  Secretary,  in  which  he  states :  *  *  In  the  ex- 
tract of  the  rules  of  the  Association  for  the  Propagation  of  the 
Faith  the  paragraph  entitled  Division  of  the  Association 
where  there  is  question  of  divisions,  of  centuries,  of  sections 
and  of  divisions,  long  ago  fell  into  desuetude.  There  is  no 
longer  a  question  today  of  any  division  except  the  groups 
of  ten.  Today  the  chiefs  of  the  groups  of  ten  remit  the 
receipts  into  the  hands  of  the  Parish  Director,  who  is  the 
Pastor  or  the  Assistant  delegated  by  the  Pastor  to  look  after 
the  Society."  The  promoter's  duties  are  to  organize  a  band 
of  ten  to  collect  the  offerings,  and  to  circulate  among  them 
the  Annals  of  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith,  which  is  published 
every  two  months.  The  offerings  are  then  turned  over  by  the 
promoter  to  the  parochial  director,  where  the  Society  is  estab- 
lished in  the  parish.  Otherwise  they  are  sent  to  the  General 
Director.  Membership  certificates  are  provided  to  new  mem- 
bers, and  cards  record  the  collections.  In  some  parishes  of 
the  United  States  the  Society  has  been  connected  with  some 
other  Society  already  existing;  in  others,  it  has  an  organiza- 
tion of  its  own;  in  those  parishes  where  a  branch  of  the 
Society  is  not  established,  members  may  join  by  saying  the 
required  prayers  and  forwarding  their  offerings  to  general 
headquarters.  Besides  those  who  contribute  only  sixty  cents 
a  year,  there  are  two  other  classes :  The  special  members  are 
those  who  contribute  the  sum  of  six  dollars  a  year  represent- 
ing the  amount  collected  in  a  band  of  ten,  and  life  members 


3.  Cf.  Chapter  III,  p.  30. 

4.  GUASCO,  letter  dated  August  29,  1921. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith          49 

who  contribute  at  one  time  a  sum  of  money  not  less  than 
forty  dollars  to  the  Society.  Both  special  members  and  life 
members  received  a  copy  of  the  Annals  every  two  months. 
Sums  of  money  intended  by  the  donors  for  particular  Mis- 
sions or  missionaries  are  received  and  sent  at  once  to  their 
destination.5  There  is  naturally  a  tendency  to  control  their 
distribution. 

In  the  United  States  the  Society  is  legally  incorporated 
and  hence  is  empowered  to  receive  bequests.  Monsignor 
Freri  writes:  ''The  Propagation  of  the  Faith,  having  lost 
many  bequests  through  the  opposition  of  natural  heirs,  the 
adverse  decision  of  courts,  the  lack  of  care  on  the  part  of  the 
executors,  has  established  a  Conditional  Gift  Fund  in  America 
to  which  several  thousands  of  dollars  have  already  been  con- 
tributed by  persons  who  had  intended  to  leave  legacies  for  the 
Missions.  The  Society  receives  gifts,  large  or  small,  at  the 
same  time  entering  into  a  written  agreement  with  the  donor 
not  to  spend  these  gifts  but  to  invest  them  in  well-determined 
and  absolutely  safe  securities,  and  to  pay  to  the  donors,  so 
long  as  they  shall  live,  a  yearly  amount  equivalent  to  a  fair 
rate  of  interest.  After  the  donor's  death  the  money  is  placed 
in  the  general  fund  to  be  distributed  among  the  Missions. 
If  the  money  left  in  care  of  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  is 
intended  for  other  purposes  besides  its  own  work,  the  Society 
assumes  the  responsibility  of  seeing  that  the  intentions  of  the 
donors  are  implicitly  followed  and  the  various  bequests  dis- 
tributed as  directed.  Mass  intentions  will  be  forwarded  to 
needy  missionary  priests  immediately  after  the  death  of  the 
benefactor  and  acquitted  at  once,  thus  obviating  the  long 
delays  which  necessarily  accompany  the  execution  of  a  will. ' ' 

The  present  delegate,  Right  Rev.  Joseph  Freri,  was  ap- 
pointed by  the  Cardinal  Secretary  of  State  in  the  year  1903. 
The  delegates  preceding  him  were  Fathers  Magnien  and 
Granjon.  They  were  appointed  in  the  year  1897. 7  Father 
Granjon  was  named  Bishop  of  Tucson  in  Arizona  in  the  year 


5.  FRERI,  op.  cit.,  in  the  Annals,  vol.  LXXXV,  p.  52,  1922. 

6.  Ut  supra. 

7.  Ut  supra. 


50          The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

1900  and  Father  Freri  was  appointed  assistant  to  Father 
Magnien.  Later,  when  Father  Magnien  died;  Father  Freri 
was  appointed  sole  delegate.  In  1889,  Fathers  Terrien  and 
Gallien  were  given  the  mission  to  organize  the  Society  in 
America.  They  did  much  to  promote  the  Society  also  in 
Mexico.  The  National  delegates  of  the  Society  transmit  the 
total  collections  to  the  Central  Councils  in  Lyons  and  in  Paris. 
The  Society  is  not  incorporated  in  France  and  hence,  theoret- 
ically, there  is  no  such  Society  in  the  eyes  of  the  French 
Government ;  but  in  practice  this  government  is  quite  friendly 
to  the  Society  and  even  during  the  darkest  day  of  the  past 
war  did  not  prevent  the  Society  from  distributing  its  regular 
allocations.8 

Before  speaking  of  the  procedure  of  these  two  bodies  it 
would  be  well  to  give  a  list  of  the  men  who  have  presided 
over  them  since  the  foundation  of  the  Society.  The  President 
of  the  Central  Council  of  Lyons  at  the  time  of  the  foundation 
was  M.  de  Verna.  A  complete  list  of  the  Presidents  is  as 
follows : 

DE  VERNA,  Victor,  President  from  May  3,  1822,  to  June  17, 
1841. 

DE  JESSE,  Antoine,  President  from  June  17,  1841,  to  Decem- 
ber 16,  1854. 

TERRET,  Andre,  President  from  December,  1854,  to  July  16, 
1859. 

DE  PRANDIERES,  Louis  Martial,  President  from  June  26,  1859, 
to  July  17,  1868. 

DES  GARETS,  Francisque,  born  18^7,  President  from  Decem- 
ber 3,  1868,  to  November  25,  1898. 

DE  PRANDIERES,  Martial,  President  from  December  2,  1898,  to 
May  31,  1906. 

TERRET,  Joseph,  President  from  June  3,  1906,  to  December 
7,  1906. 


8.  The  stringent  French  laws  governing  associations  make  it  impos- 
sible to  have  this  Society  incorporated. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith          51 

SAINT-OLIVE,  Henri,   President  from  December   7,   1906,   to 

October  27,  1920. 
BECHETOILLE,  Emmanuel  (Mgr.)  V.  G.,  Lyons,  President  from 

October  27,  1920. 

The  Count  des  Garets  who  was  President  of  the  Council 
for  thirty  years  and  formed  part  of  it  during  forty  years, 
had  handed  in  his  resignation  at  the  end  of  the  year  1898 
on  account  of  his  advanced  age.  The  unanimous  vote  of  his 
colleagues  bestowed  upon  him  the  title  of  honorary  president 
and  retained  him  in  the  Council.  He  died  on  February  28, 
1900,  at  the  age  of  93  years. 

The  first  President  of  the  Central  Council  of  Paris  was 
the  Count  de  Sanst-Pilsach.  The  list  of  all  the  Presidents 
of  this  Council  is : 

DE  SENST-PILSACH,  Count,  President  from  1822  to  1826 

DE  BERTIER,  Count  Ferdinand,  "  "  1826  to  1833 

ABBE  MATHIEU,  "  "  1833  to  1833 

ABBE  SALANDRE,  "  "  1833  to  1839 

DE  LA  BOUILLERIE,  Alphonse,  "  "  1839  to  1847 

BERARD  DES  GLAJEUX,  "  "  1847  to  1865 

GAUDRY,  "  "  1865  to  1873 

COLIN  DE  VERDIERE,  Leon  "  "  1873  to  1885 

HAMEL,  Charles  "  "  1885  to  1916 

DELAZAILLE,  "  "  1916  to  1920 

ODELIN,  Mgr.  H.,  V.  G.,  Paris  "  "  Oct.  1920 

Father  Mathieu  became  Bishop  of  Langres,  and  later 
Cardinal  Archbishop  of  Besanc.on.  M.  A.  Guasco,  born  in 
1854,  has  been  General  Secretary  of  the  Central  Council  of 
the  Oeuvre  de  la  Propagation  at  Paris  since  August,  1883. 9 

The  names  of  the  present  members  of  the  two  Central 
Councils  are  not  given  in  any  of  the  Society's  publications. 

The  two  Central  Councils  are  the  administrators  of  the 
Society.  These  Councils  do  not  in  any  way  interfere  with  the 


9.  These  lists  of  Presidents  were  compiled  by  M.  Groffier,  General 
Secretary  of  the  Central  Council  of  Lyons,  Cf.  GUASCO,  op.  cit.,  p.  39. 


52          The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

interior  administration  of  the  Missions,  their  function  being 
limited  to  centralizing  the  offerings  which  pass  successively 
before  arriving  in  their  hands  through  the  chiefs  of  ten  to 
the  parish  directors  and  from  these  latter  to  the  directors 
of  the  diocesan  committees.  When,  at  the  end  of  Janu- 
ary, the  yearly  offerings  from  the  entire  world  have  been 
collected,  and  the  accounts  have  been  closed,  then  commences 
for  the  two  Central  Councils  the  work  of  the  distribution  of 
the  total.  The  Society  does  not  deal  in  investments  and  has 
no  permanent  fund.  To  its  great  credit  it  can  be  said  that 
with  conscientious  attention  and  with  impartiality  all  the 
reports  of  the  chiefs  of  the  Missions,  prefects  and  vicars- 
apostolic,  are  read,  compared  and  studied.  The  information 
concerning  the  Missions  which  the  Councils  procure  from  the 
reports  which  the  missionary  bishops  address  to  them  each 
year,  permit  them  to  apportion,  in  the  most  equitable  manner 
and  with  a  perfect  knowledge  of  the  needs  of  each  Mission, 
all  these  gifts  and  alms  from  whatsoever  source.  The  Central 
Council  of  Lyons  takes  the  initiative  in  dividing  the  budget. 
The  Council  of  Paris,  in  its  turn,  resumes  the  task  arid  with  the 
same  solicitude,  approves,  modifies,  increases  and  diminishes 
the  allocations.  It  is  only  when  the  two  Councils  are  entirely 
in  accord  and  after  the  consideration  of  the  desires  of  the 
Pope  and  the  data  submitted  by  the  Congregation  de  Propa- 
ganda Fide,  that  the  assistance  decided  upon  is  sent  to  each 
Mission.  The  result  is  indicated  in  detail  in  the  Annales  of 
November  in  a  statement  published  in  nearly  375,000  copies.10 
These  allotments  are  made  in  accordance  with  the  extent  and 
the  necessities  of  each  Mission  concerning  the  special  gifts 
destined  for  a  certain  missionary  or  a  certain  unforeseen  need 
of  a  given  Mission,  the  Councils  accept  them  with'  courtesy 
and  transmit  them  with  fidelity.  '  *  The  distribution  of  funds, ' ' 
writes  Monsignor  Freri,  "is  made  at  regular  intervals  by  the 
Councils,  upon  the  comparative  examination  of  the  petitions 
of  the  chiefs  of  Missions  received  every  year.  The  division 


10.  Organisation  de  I'Oeuvre  de  la  Propagation  de  la  Foi,  in  the 
Annexes,  t.  LXXXII,  pp.  7-10. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith          53 

is  made  by  the  common  consent  of  the  two  Councils,  and  once 
the  list  of  allocations  has  been  decided  upon,  it  is  sent  to  the 
Sacred  Congregation  of  Propaganda  for  revision,  adjustment 
and  approbation.  When  it  is  returned  from  Rome,  payments 
are  made." 

At  the  monthly  meetings,  which  are  private,  at  which  the 
" repartition"  is  to  be  made  each  director  is  provided  with  a 
small  booklet  on  the  first  page  of  which  is  entered  the  year 
and  the  amount  which  had  been  distributed  the  previous  year 
and  the  amount  which  is  to  be  distributed  in  the  present  year 
and  the  difference  between  the  two.  The  director's  name  is 
also  inscribed  on  this  page.  Then  follow  in  order,  the  names 
of  all  the  Missions  assisted  by  the  Society,  grouped  under  the 
headings  of  the  five  continents :  Europe,  Asia,  Africa, 
America  and  Oceania.  Then  follows  one  chapter  in  which 
the  names  of  the  Grand  Congregations  devoted  to  the  Mis- 
sions are  arranged.  Opposite  the  name  of  each  Mission  is 
found  six  blank  columns  in  which  are  to  be  inscribed  the 
first,  second  and  third  decisions  of  both  councils  should  these 
be  found  necessary.  In  the  seventh  column  the  allocation  of 
the  preceding  year  is  inscribed  in  red  and  a  space  is  reserved 
for  the  observations  which  the  director  may  care  to  make. 
The  last  page  of  this  booklet  contains  a  recapitulation  showing 
the  total  sum  to  be  distributed  according  to  the  first,  second 
arid  third  decisions  of  the  two  councils  for  each  of  the  five 
continents  and  the  Grand  Congregations  and  the  grand  total. 
Beside  these  figures  are  entered  in  red  the  corresponding  totals 
for  the  preceding  year.12 

In  spite  of  all  this  elaborate  mechanism,  the  truth  must 
be  confessed  that  the  greatest  confusion  reigns  in  the  minds 
of  the  clergy  and  laity  throughout  the  world  on  the  methods 
used  by  the  Society.  The  existence  of  two  independent  bodies, 
equally  potent,  and  in  some  mysterious  way  equally  subordin- 
ate to  an  unseen  center,  is  bound  to  create  confusion.  Whether 


11.  FRERI,  op.  cit.,  in  the  Annals,  vol.  LXXXV,  p.  55,  1922. 

12.  Cf.  Appendix  of  this  work  wherein  a  Repartition  cahier  has 
been  reproduced. 


54  The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

Paris  is  subordinate  to  Lyons,  Lyons  to  Paris,  or  whether  the 
world  is  divided  arbitrarily  between  the  two  Central  Councils ; 
or  whether  one  can  consider  the  Sacred  Congregation  de 
Propaganda  Fide  as  the  overruling  director  of  the  two  Coun- 
cils— are  questions  that  no  amount  of  research  has  cleared  up. 
As  we  shall  see,  later,  this  confusion  of  authority — objectively, 
at  least,  has  done  harm  to  the  Society  in  such  business-like 
countries  as  England  and  America.  Moreover,  the  Rule  is 
antiquated  and  has  fallen  into  disuse.  No  new  Rule  has  been 
made  since  1834,  and  this  Rule  antedates  the  present  system 
of  organization.  As  Freri  has  said: 

It  is  quite  natural  that  an  institution  one  hundred  years  old 
should  be  in  need  of  some  changes  and  reforms  and  we  know  that  the 
Holy  See  has  been  contemplating  them  for  some  time.  The  *  Osservatore 
Romano'  (the  official  organ  of  the  Vatican)  published  on  January  18, 
1921,  an  article  on  the  'Propagation  of  the  Faith'  in  which  it  was 
stated  that  the  authorities  of  the  Church  had  decided  to  transfer  to 
Rome  the  Councils  of  Lyons-Paris  and  place  them  under  the  jurisdiction 
of  the  S.  C.  of  Propaganda  and  the  direction  of  an  international 
committee.  This  will  probably  lead  to  a  reorganization  of  the  Society, 
but  at  this  writing  we  have  no  knowledge  as  to  the  lines  on  which  it 
will  be  made.18 

Secrecy  prevails  over  everything,  and  at  Paris  even  the 
names  of  the  members  of  the  Councils  were  refused  me. 

Many  Catholics,  therefore,  even  among  those  whose  social 
position  and  religious  sentiments  place  them  at  the  head  of 
works  of  Catholic  benevolence  are  ignorant  as  well  of  the 
organization  as  of  the  mode  of  operation  of  the  Society  for  the 
Propagation  of  the  Faith.  This  ignorance  is  due,  in  large 
part,  to  the  traditions  of  the  Central  Councils'  Directors, 
who  have  always  concealed  their  labors  under  the  veil  of 
anonymity.  The  two  Councils  are  self -recruiting  and  the  func- 
tions of  their  members  are  entirely  gratuitous.  They  are 
composed  of  ecclesiastics  and  laymen  commendable  by  their 
social  positions,  the  functions  which  they  perform,  their  ex- 
perience in  business,  their  talent  and  their  piety.14  Since 


13.  FUERI,  op.  cit.,  in  the  Annals,  vol.  LXXXV,  p.  14,  1922. 

14.  Organisation  dc  I'Ocuvrc,  etc.  in  the  Annalcs,  t.  LXXXII,  p.  7. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith          55 

laymen  were  in  the  majority  at  the  foundation  meeting  of 
the  Society  in  1822,  the  administration  has  remained  almost 
entirely  in  their  hands.  Hence  only  a  few  priests  have  taken 
an  active  part  in  its  deliberations.18 

Recently,  however,  the  Holy  See  expressed  the  desire  to 
have  ecclesiastics  placed  at  the  head  of  the  two  Councils,  and 
as  a  result  of  this  Mgr.  Beehetoille,  Vicar-General  of  the 
Diocese  of  Lyons,  has  been  named  President  of  the  Central 
Council  of  Lyons,  and  Mgr.  Odelin,  Vicar-General  of  the 
Diocese  of  Paris,  has  been  named  to  head  the  Central  Council 
of  Paris.  Another  recent  innovation  in  the  government  of 
the  Society  was  introduced  by  Pope  Benedict  XV  when  he 
created  a  Central  Council  at  Rome,  which  he  placed  under 
the  direct  dependence  of  the  Sacred  Congregation  cle  Propa- 
ganda Fide  for  all  the  dioceses  of  Italy  and  charged  to  pro- 
cure a  greater  development  of  the  Society  in  that  country.10 
Just  what  will  be  the  relations  between  this  Council  and  those 
of  Lyons  and  of  Paris  remains  to  be  seen.  It  is  problematical 
whether  an  international  Council 'will  be  created  at  Rome  or 
elsewhere  and  whether  the  ancient  French  Councils  will  be- 
come simple  intermediaries  between  the  faithful  and  this 
international  Council  or  whether  the  former  will  conserve 
their  present  character.  There  is  also  a  possibility  that  the 
Congregation  of  Propaganda  may  take  over  the  effective  direc- 
tion of  the  Society." 

For  the  purposes  of  daily  correspondence  the  two  Central 
Councils  have  in  some  unknown  way  divided  the  Missions 
of  the  world  between  them.  The  dioceses  and  Missions  in 
America  have  been  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Paris 


15.  FRERI,  op.  cit.,  p.  14,  1912. 

16.  Osscrvatore  Komano,  January  21,  1921. 

17.  GUASOO,   L'Ocuvre    de    la   Propagation    de    la   Foi,    Un   Siccle 
d'Histvire,    in   the   Correspondant,    t.    284,    September    25,     1921;   Cf. 
FRERI,    op.    tit.,    in    the    Annals,    vol.    LXXXV,    p.    55,    1922:      "The 
Osservatore  Romano     .     .     .     stated  that  the  authorities  of  the  Church 
had  decided  to  transfer  to  Rome  the  Councils  of  Lyons  and  Paris  and 
place  them  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  S.  C.  of  Propaganda  and  the 
direction  of  an  international  committee.     This  will  probably  lead  to  a 
reorganization  of  the  Society  but  at  this  writing  we  have  no  knowledge 
as  to  the  lines  on  which  it  will  be  made." 


56          The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

Council.  The  Missions  of  the  various  religious  orders  have 
been  somewhat  arbitrarily  divided  between  the  two  councils. 
The  money  contributed  to  the  Society  is  sent  by  each  dele- 
gate or  by  a  diocesan  director  to  the  Central  Council  of  Lyons 
or  of  Paris  by  means  of  bank  drafts  and  it  is  distributed  to 
the  Mission  fields  by  the  same  means.  At  times  the  insistence 
by  the  Central  Councils  that  all  mass  stipends,  particular 
gifts,  as  well  as  collections  which  are  later  to  be  distributed 
to  the  Missions  of  the  same  country  in  which  they  were  do- 
nated, conform  to  this  set  method  has  resulted  in  certain 
delays  and  in  losses  incurred  by  the  transfer  and  retrans- 
fer  of  these  funds. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  as  early  as  1840,  and  earlier,  the 
American  bishops  were  not  altogether  pleased  with  the  cum- 
bersome methods  of  the  Society.  In  that  year  we  find  Father 
Hercule  Brassac  submitting  to  the  American  hierarchy  a  pros- 
pectus for  a  general  Agency  to  be  established  in  Paris  for  the 
transactions  of  all  ecclesiastical  affairs  with  the  Society  for  the 
Propagation  of  the  Faith.  This  prospectus  was  as  follows : 

The  need  of  an  Ecclesiastical  Agency  established  in  Paris  and 
devoted  entirely  to  the  interests  of  the  episcopate  and  the  clergy  of  the 
United  States  has  been  felt  for  a  long  time  and  yet  an  establishment 
of  this  kind  is  still  wanting. 

The  undersigned,  after  having  consulted  persons  of  experience,  has 
decided  to  attempt  the  enterprise,  provided  that  his  plan  obtains  the 
approval  and  encouragement  of  the  archbishops  and  bishops  of  the 
United  States,  as  it  has  already  received  it  from  Bishops  Rosati,  Portier 
and  Miles.  Here  is  what  he  has  the  honor  of  proposing: 

I.  The  undersigned  will  act  as  representative  before  the  Council 
of  the  Association  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  for  the  Right 
Reverend  American  prelates,  who  will  thus  authorize  him  for  the  pur- 
pose, to  explain  the  needs  of  the  dioceses,  to  defend  their  interests,  to 
solicit  assistance,  to  receive  the  sums  allowed  and  send  them  to  their 
destination  by  the  surest  means  and  with  the  shortest  delay. 

Nearly  all  the  different  Missions  of  the  world  have  with  the 
Association  a  representative  in  the  Superiors  of  the  Seminary  of  the 
Foreign  Missions,  of  the  Lazarists,  the  Jesuits,  and  the  House  of  Picpus, 
etc.  Those  of  the  United  States  are  almost  the  only  ones  which  are  not 
officially  represented  and  from  this  may  come  the  difference  in  the 
allocations.  In  as  much  as  the  directors  of  the  Association  have  no 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith          57 

other  information  about  the  missions  than  the  letters  of  the  Bishops, 
which  are  often  read  a  long  time  before  the  sessions  where  the  allowances 
are  made,  the  demand  made  and  the  considerations  to  support  them 
are  likely  to  be  forgotten,  while  a  few  remarks  made  verbally  at  that 
very  moment  might  exert  a  very  happy  influence. 

The  funds  allowed  to  the  dioceses  of  the  United  States  often  remain 
a  considerable  time  in  the  treasury  of  the  Association.  The  time  neces- 
sary to  notify  the  interested  parties  of  these  allocations,  the  sending 
thereof  or  possibly  the  negotiation  as  to  the  manner  and  terms  of 
payments  which  often  follow  long  after  the  time  when  the  matter  has 
been  presented,  cause  delays  that  could  to  a  great  extent  be  avoided  by 
the  proposed  Agency. 

II.  Priests   in    Europe   often   obtain   from   their   bishops    an    exeat 
gladly  given  in  order  to  get  rid  of  them;  they  arrive  in  America  and 
the    Ordinaries    of    the    place    where   they    present    themselves    for   the 
missions,  have  no  means  of  assuring  themselves  at  once  of  their  past 
conduct  and  their  capabilities.     Others  again,  led  undoubtedly  by  good 
motives,  but  having  had  none  to  judge  their  vocations  other  than  persons 
ignorant  of  the  customs  and  ways  of  the  United  States,  find  themselves 
disappointed  and  unable  to  do  much  good.     The  undersigned  will  take 
it  upon  himself  to  obtain  all  possible  information  about  the  candidates 
who   present   themselves    for   America.      He   will  try  to   learn   of   their 
character,    their    talents    and    their    aptitude.      As    he    knows    a    great 
number  of  the  Dioceses  of  France,  Belgium  and  even  Germany  and  Italy, 
and  as  he  moreover  exercised  the  holy  ministry  in  the  United  States 
for  nearly  twenty  years,  he  would  be  better  able  than  many  others  to 
judge,  with  less  chances  of  being  mistaken,  those  who  would  be  fitted 
for  this  kind  of   a  mission.     He   could  also   provide   for  their  embar- 
kation according  to  the  orders  of  the  bishops. 

III.  In  compliance  with  the  wishes  of  prelates  to  obtain  the  estab- 
lishment of  religious  orders  of  women,  the  undersigned  will  attempt  to 
procure  them  and  to  attend  to  everything  necessary  for  their  voyage. 

IV.  The  undersigned  would  also  take  care  of  the  buying  of  books, 
ornaments,   sacred   vessels,    paintings,    engravings   and   lithographs    and 
church  furniture,  also   subscriptions  to   papers  and  magazines,    and  in 
general,  of  everything  that  would  be  recommended  to  him.     He  would 
give  his  personal  attention  to  these  matters,  profiting  by  the  assistance 
of  merchants  and  manufacturers;  he  would  spare  no  pains  in  obtaining 
the  most  advantageous  terms  at  all  times. 

V.  The  undersigned  promises  to  the  archbishops  and  bishops  that 
he  will  justify  their  confidence  by  constant  zeal  and  absolute  discretion 
in  the  matters  entrusted  to  him. 

VI.  The  undersigned  would  ask  of  each  of  the  bishops  and  arch- 
bishops who  would  honor  him  with  their  confidence  the  sum  of  $50.00 


58  The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

(250  francs)  as  compensation  for  his  services  and  would  pledge  himself 
not  to  charge  any  further  commissions  for  the  business  he  would  have 
to  do;  at  least  where  he  would  not  himself  be  obliged  to  pay  interest 
in  procuring  the  drafts  for  the  transmission  of  moneys. 

VII.  In  cases  where  the  undersigned  would  be  obliged  to  advance 
moneys,  he  would  charge  at  the  rate  of  5  per  cent  interest  annually  and 
1  per  cent  commission  on  the  sum  advanced. 

VIII.  The  undersigned  will  also  charge  himself  to  fill  the  orders 
given  him   by  colleges,   convents,   religious   institutions  and  the  clergy 
at  large  for  a  reasonable  commission  according  to  the  importance  of  the 
demand;  but  those  orders  must  be  sent  to  him  through  the  hands  of  the 
bishops,  or  otherwise  the  money  must  be  sent  in  advance  by  draft  or 
otherwise. 

IX.  The  undersigned  will  give  to  the  archbishops  and  bishops  who 
desire  it,  a  guarantee  for  the  faithful  administration   of  their  funds. 

The  undersigned  feels  it  his  duty  to  impress  upon  the  archbishops 
and  bishops  of  the  United  States  that  his  enterprise  is  not  a  money 
speculation,  but  simply  a  work  which  he  believes  to  be  most  advan- 
tageous for  the  country  that  he  considers  as  a  second  Fatherland. 

Bishops  Rosati,  Portier  and  Miles  have  authorized  the  undersigned 
to  make  known  to  their  venerable  brothers  of  the  United  States  the 
approbation  and  encouragement  which  they  have  given  to  his  project, 
and  to  give  their  names  as  his  reference.  He  takes  the  liberty  to  add 
the  names  of  Bishop  Purcell  of  Cincinnati,  of  Mr.  Jeanjean  of  New 
Orleans,  of  Madame  Gallitzin,  Superioress  of  the  Sacred  Heart  of  the 
United  States.  The  agency  will  open  on  January  1,  1841. 

Correspondence  with  the  undersigned  may  be  in  French  or  in 
English.  The  following  form  signed  and  sealed  will  be  a  sufficient 
proxy  to  authorize  the  undersigned  to  act  with  full  power.  "I,  the 
undersigned,  Archbishop  (or  Bishop)  of  N.  N.  in  the  United  States 
of  America,  recognize  and  authorize  Monsieur  1'Abbe  Brassac,  formerly 
missionary  in  America,  as  my  agent  with  the  Association  for  the  Propa- 
gation of  the  Faith  established  in  Europe,  and  I  ask  all  persons  whom 
it  may  concern  to  honor  him  in  this  quality  with  their  confidence." 

I  have  the  honor  to  remain,  most  respectfully  of  Your  Grace,  the 
most  humble  and  devoted  servant. 

H.  Brassac, 

V.  G.  of  Cincinnati  and  Nashville 

Paris,  f 

Eue  Cassette  28. 

P.  S. — There  will  always  be  with  this  agent  an  apartment  for  the 
Archbishops  and  Bishops  during  their  stay  at  Paris.18 

18.  MESSMER,  The  Eev.  Hercule  Brassac,  European  Vicar-Gen- 
eral of  the  American  Bishops,  1839-1861,  in  the  Catholic  Historical 
Review,  vol.  Ill,  pp.  413-415. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith          59 

How  many  bishops  joined  this  Agence,  it  is  impossible  to 
state. 

The  main  item  in  the  operating  expenses  of  the  Society 
is  that  for  the  printing,  publishing  and  distributing  the 
Annalcs.  The  other  publications  of  the  Society  are  sold  for 
a  modest  price  which  generally  covers  their  expense  and  at 
times  leaves  a  small  surplus  which  is  also  devoted  to  the  Mis- 
sions. The  salaries  o£  the  employees,  as  well  as  rent,  taxes, 
heat,  light  and  insurance,  and  the  expenses  of  correspondence 
constitute  the  other  chief  items  of  expense. 

The  receipts  of  the  Association  for  the  year  1842  amounted  to 
3,233,486  fr.  which  is  upwards  of  $600,000.  The  Missions  of  the 
United  States  received  of  this  sum,  $126,000.  The  whole  sum  distributed 
throughout  the  world  is  about  $550,000.  The  expenses  of  the  admin- 
istration which  include  those  incurred  not  only  in  France,  but  in  other 
countries,  are  composed  of  the  salaries  of  persons  employed,  postage  of 
letters  in  the  correspondence  which  is  kept  up,  as  well  as  the  various 
dioceses  of  Europe,  as  with  the  missions  of  the  whole  world,  rent, 
stationery,  etc.,  and  amount  to  about  $6,500.  The  Society  publishes, 
every  two  months,  a  pamphlet  containing  intelligence  of  the  different 
missions,  consisting  principally  of  letters  from  clergymen  who  are 
stationed  in  those  various  points.  These  pamphlets  are  called  Annals 
of  tlw  Association,  &c.,  and  the  printing  of  them  amounts  annually  to 
$45,000.  One  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  copies  of  the  Annals  are  now 
printed;  namely  77,000  French;  21,000  German;  15,000  English;  2,000 
Spanish;  for  South  America;  3,500  Flemish;  28,000  Italian;  2,000 
Portugese;  and  1,500  Dutch;  this  number  published  six  times  a  year, 
gives  a  total  of  nine  hundred  thousand  copies.  The  number  published 
in  the  course  of  the  last  year  has  been  somewhat  less,  on  the  average, 
than  this;  but  there  must  be  added  besides,  the  printing  of  the  Glance, 
Prospectus,  collector's  sheet,  &c.,  in  all  languages  as  well  as  the  re- 
printing of  several  of  the  old  numbers.  In  the  expenses  of  publication 
must  be  also  included  paper,  printing,  stitching  of  the  numbers, 
editing,  translating  into  foreign  languages,  &c.1D 

One  of  the  traditional  methods  of  keeping  the  attention, 
the  interest  and  the  zeal  of  the  faithful  alive  to  the  missionary 
work  in  which  the  Society  is  engaged  has  been  the  annual  dis- 
course delivered  by  one  of  the  foremost  pulpit  orators  of 


19.  Association  for  the  Propagation   of   the   Faith   in   the   United 
States  Catholic  Magazine,  Vol.  Ill,  pp.  124-128.     Baltimore,  1844. 


60          The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

France  on  the  subject  of  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith.  This 
discourse  generally  took  place  on  the  third  of  May  or  the 
third  of  December,  the  two  principal  feast  days  of  the  Society, 
in  the  primatial  church  of  Lyons  in  the  presence  of  the  Arch- 
bishop. Among  the  most  prominent  of  these  orators  has  been 
Father  Monsabre,  O.  P.,  Father  Didon,  0.  P.,  Mgr.  Touchet, 
Bishop  of  Orleans,  Father  Janvier,  O.  P.,  and  Mgr.  Le  Roy. 
They  have  all  been  printed  and  are  011  sale  in  Lyons  for 
about  ten  cents  apiece,  the  whole  collection  amounting  to 
about  two  dollars. 

At  an  early  date  the  public  character  of  the  Society  which 
had  been  assured  by  the  rescript  of  Pius  VII  in  1823  which 
was  its  canonical  institution  and  the  progress  which  it  made 
each  day  prevailed  upon  the  Superior  Council  of  the  Associa- 
tion at  Paris  to  give  its  publicity  all  the  extension  necessary 
for  the  national  development  of  the  work.  There  remains, 
however,  in  the  administration  of  the  Society  the  two  defects : 
an  absence  of  hierarchical  organization  between  the  Councils, 
and  the  prevalance  of  secrecy  in  the  meetings,  monthly  and 
annual.  For  the  latter,  the  French  attitude  towards  such 
activity  as  that  embraced  by  the  Society  must  be  understood ; 
for  the  combination  of  patriotism  and  religious  zeal  has  never 
been  broken  since  the  proud  old  clays  when  the  Gesta  Dei 
per  Francos  was  the  boast  of  the  people  of  France. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith          61 


CHAPTER  V 

ECCLESIASTICAL  AND  LAY  COOPERATION 

In  the  year  1817  the  Holy  See  gave  its  approbation  to  the 
Association  of  Prayers  which  was  being  reestablished  by  the 
Seminaire  des  Mission-fitrangeres  of  Paris  and  enriched  it 
with  certain  indulgences.1  After  the  foundation  of  the  Society 
for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  it  was  necessary  to  obtain 
ecclesiastical  approbation ;  hence  in  the  beginning  of  the  year 
1823,  M.  de  Villiers,  a  member  of  the  Central  Council  of  Lyons, 
went  to  Rome  and  was  received  by  the  Sovereign  Pontiff, 
Pius  VII,  in  private  audience.2  In  this  audience,  of  March 
5,  1823,  the  Association  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 
requested  the  Holy  Father  to  grant  to  each  of  its  members 
certain  indulgences  applicable  to  the  souls  in  Purgatory.8 
In  an  audience  granted  to  the  Cardinal  Secretary  of  State  on 
March  15,  1823,  Pius  VII  accorded  to  the  Association  the 
indulgences  asked.4  Pius  VII  died  in  1823  and  was  succeeded 
by  Pope  Leo  XII.  Shortly  after  his  elevation  to  the  Papacy, 
the  Central  Council  of  Lyons,  through  the  agency  of  one  of 
its  members,  rendered  its  homage  to  the  Pope ;  and  on  May 
11,  1824,  Leo  XII  granted  to  those  Associates  of  the  Society, 
who  were  infirm,  the  privilege  of  gaining  the  indulgences 
granted  by  his  predecessor  without  the  obligation  of  visiting 
the  parish  church.8  Nor  was  Pius  VIII  forgetful  of  the 


1.  Cf.  LAUNAY,  op.  cit.,  t.  II,  pp.  500,  et  seq.;  Cf.  Note  7,  at  the 
end  of  Chapter  II  of  this  work. 

2.  Association  de   la  Propagation  de  la  Foi,  in  the  Annales,  t.  I, 
fasc.  iii,  pp.  6-7. 

3.  Ut   supra,  pp.   6-8;    Cf.   Propaganda   Transcripts,  Documento   I, 
L'Associazione  delta  Propagazionc  delta  Fcde  domanda  I'approvazione 
a  S.  S.  Pio  VII,  Roma,  5  Mars,  1823. 

4.  Ut   supra,   pp.   9-11 ;    Cf .  ibid.   Documento   II,  Sua   Santita  Pio 
VII  nell   'Udienza  concessa  at  Card.  Segretario   di  Stato,  il  15  marzo 
1823  accorda  all'Associazionc  I'approvazione  delle  grazie  domandate. 

5.  Annales,  t.  I,  fasc.  v,  pp.  8-10;  Extrait  du  Eeglcment  de  I' Asso- 
ciation de  la  Propagation  de  la  Foi,  in  the  Annales,  t.  I,  fasc.  vi,  p.  96; 
Propaganda    Transcripts,    Documento    IV,    Leone    XII    accorda    agli 
associati  infermi  della  pia  Opera  di  poter   lucrare   le  indulgenze  con- 


62  The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

Society.  The  rescript  of  September  18,  1829,  granted  to  the 
associates  the  privilege  of  gaming  the  indulgences  by  visiting 
any  church  whatsoever  instead  of  the  parish  church  or  the 
oratory  of  the  Association.0  Gregory  XVI,  who  had  been 
prefect  of  the  Sacred  Congregation  de  Propaganda  Fide, 
bestowed  special  benevolence  upon  the  Society  which  had  be- 
come such  a  powerful  auxiliary  of  this  important  Roman 
Congregation.  In  a  rescript  dated  September  25,  1831,  he 
granted  to  those  Associates,  who  are  not  French,  the  privilege 
of  belonging  to  the  Association  and  of  gaining  the  indulgences 
accorded  to  the  same.7  These  privileges  were  extended  in  per- 
petuity to  those  Associates  outside  of  France.  Moreover,  on 
November  15,  1835,  Gregory  XVI,  granted  that  the  indul- 
gences accorded  to  the  members  of  the  Society  on  the  Feast 
of  the  Finding  of  the  Holy  Cross  and  on  that  of  St.  Francis 
Xavier  might  be  gained  either  on  their  octave  or  on  the  day 
fixed  for  the  celebration  of  the  feast  by  the  Ordinary.8  On 
July  22,  1836,  he  also  granted  a  plenary  indulgence  on  Feasts 
of  the  Annunciation  and  Assumption.9  Gregory  XVI,  issued 
on  March  22,  1839,  a  brief  whereby  the  Feast  of  the  Martyr 
Esuperius  was  to  be  instituted  in  the  metropolis  of  Lyons  and 
whereby  divers  indulgences  are  accorded  to  the  Associates  of 


cesse   dal  suo  predeccssore,  scnsa  I'obbligo   di   visitare    la   chiesa   par- 
rocchiale.     Die  undecima  maii,  1824. 

6.  Annales,    t.    IV,    p.    259;    ibid.,    t.    VIII,    p.    408;    Propaganda 
Transcripts,  Docwnento    VII,  Pio   VIII  a-coorda   ai  fedeli  associati  in- 
fermi  di  poter  visitare  una   chiesa  parrocchiale   o   oratorio   dell'Asso- 
ciazione.     (18  Settembre,  1829)   Eome. 

7.  Annales,  t.  V,  p.  294;  Propaganda  Transcripts,  Documento  IX: 
25  Settembre,  1831.    II  Sommo  Pontcfice  Gregorio  XVI,  su  domanda  del 
Presidents  dell'Associasione  della  Prop,  della  Fede  di  Lione,  concede 
ai  nan  Francesi  di  poter  far   parte  dell'Associasione,  e  di  lucrare   le 
indulgence  accordate  alia  medesima. 

8.  Annales,  t.  VIII,   p.   407;    Propaganda   Transcripts,  Documento 
XVI:    Gregorio  XVI  concede  ohe   le  indulgence  agli  ascritti  della  pia 
Opera  per  le  feste  dell'Invensione  e  8.  Francesco  si  possano  lucrare  o 
nella  loro  ottavo,  o  il  giorno  in  cui  la  fcsta,  e  fissata  dal  proprio   Or- 
dinario.     15  Novembris,  1835. 

9.  Annales,    t.    IX,    p.    112;    Propaganda    Transcripts,    Documento 
XXVI,  Gregorio  XVI  concede  agli  ascritti  della  Pia,  Opera  di  poter 
lucrare  I'indulgenza  plenaria,  applicabile  ai  defunti,  nei  giorni  dell'An- 
nunziata  e  dell'Assunta.     Die  22  Julii,  1836. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith        '  63 

the  pious  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith.10  In  his 
Encyclical  of  August  13,  1840,  Gregory  XVI  recommended 
the  pious  Society  to  all  the  patriarchs,  archbishops  and 
bishops,  of  the  whole  Catholic  world.  The  opening  words  from 
the  Encyclical,  which  we  have  already  cited,  are : 

Probe  nostis,  Venerabiles  Fratres,  quantis  undique  calaraitatibus 
tristissimo  hoc  tempore  urgeatur  et  quam  miserandum  in  modum 
Catholica  vexetur  Ecclesia:  nee  ignoratis  quanta  omnis  generis  errorum 
colluvione,  effrenataque  errorum  audacia  Religio  Sancta  oppugnetur,  et 
quali  astutia  quibusque  fraudibus  haeretici,  atque  increduli  homines 
connitantur  fidelium  corda  mentesque  pervertere.  Nostis  uno  verbo, 
nullum  prope  esse  laboris  ac  moliminum  genus,  quod  ad  inconcussum 
Sanctae  Civitatis  aedificium  ex  iuris,  si  fieri  posset,  sedibus  evellendum 
non  insumatur.  .  .  .  Quid  denique,  nisi  magna  cum  laude  dicendum, 
de  celebri  ilia  societate  quae  non  solum  in  catholicis  regionibus,  sed 
etiam  in  Catholicorum  et  infidelium  terris,  nova  semper  obtinet  incre- 
menta;  quaeque  fidelibus  omnibus  euiuscumque  conditionis  facilem 
viam  modumque  aperit,  ut  de  apostolicis  missionibus  bene  mereantur, 
ac  de  spiritualibus  illarum  bonis  participes  et  ipsi  fiant?  lam  intel- 
ligitis,  sermonem  hie  esse  de  notissima  societate  sub  titulo  Propagationis 
Fidei.  Communicatis  modo  vobiscum,  Venerabiles  Fratres,  et  angoribus, 
quibus  ab  iacturas  conficimur,  et  consolationibus  quibus  sustentamur  ob 
catholicae  Beligionis  triumphos,  restat  nunc  ut  pariter  vobis  com- 
municemus  sollicitudinem  quae  Nos  urget  pro  maiori  Societatum  tarn 
bene  in  Religione  merentium  prosperitate.11 

His  successor,  Pius  IX,  in  a  rescript  dated  October  17, 
1847,  freely  confirmed  the  spiritual  graces  granted  to  the 
Society  by  his  predecessors.12  On  May  2,  1850,  Pius  IX, 
thanked  the  Councils  of  Lyons  and  Paris  for  the  congratula- 
tions extended  to  him  on  the  occasion  of  his  return  to  Rome.13 


10.  Annales,  t.   XI,   pp.    168-182;    ibid.,  pp.   459-462:   Propaganda 
Transcripts,  Documento    XXXI;   Breve   col   quale   s'istituisce    la   festa 
del  ma-rtire  S.  Esuperio  nclla  metropoli  di  Lione  e  si  aooordamo  diverse 
indulgence  agli  associati  della  pia  Opera  della  Fede.  Roma,  22  marzo, 
1839.     Gregorius  PP.  XVI,  ad  perpetuam  rei  memoriam. 

11.  Annales,  t.   XII,   pp.   603-615;    Propaganda   Transcripts,   Docu- 
mento    XXXIII,    Enciclica    con    la    quale    Gregorio    XVI,    raccomanda 
I'Opera  a  tutto  I'Orbe  cattolico.     13  Agosto,  1840.     " Probe  nostis." 

12.  Annales,  t.  XXII,  p.  320;  Propaganda  Transcripts,  Dooumento 
XXXVII,  Pio  IX  conferma  ampiamcnte  alia  Pia  Opera  le  grazie  spir- 
ituali  accordate  dai  suoi  predecessori.     Die  17  Octobris,  1847. 

13.  Annales,  t.  XXII,  no.  328  bis,   pp.   i-viii ;    Propaganda   Trans- 
scripts,   Documento   XLVII;    Pio  IX   ringrizia  i   Consigli   di   Lione    e 
Parigi  per  le  congratulaeione  inviategli  in  occasione  de  suo  ritorno  a 
Boma.     22  Maii,  1850. 


64  The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

His  rescript  of  August  5,  1851,  decreed  that  the  spiritual 
graces  conceded  by  his  predecessors  might  be  gained  by  the 
members  regardless  of  the  sum  contributed  by  them  each 
month.14  In  the  brief  of  December  31,  1853,  Pius  IX,  ac- 
corded to  the  priests  who  are  the  collectors  of  the  hundred 
groups  of  ten  the  favor  of  a  privileged  altar  five  times  a 
week.15  The  rescript  of  April  17,  1855,  accords  to  the  children 
who  are  members  of  the  pious  work  and  who  have  not  yet 
made  their  First  Communion  the  privilege  of  gaining  the  in- 
dulgences by  simply  going  to  confession.10  New  indulgences 
were  accorded  in  the  rescript  of  March  7,  1862."  The  rescript 
of  January  26,  1865,  granted  to  priests  who  each  year  collected 
(or  themselves  give  260  lire  or  who  are  members  of  a  com- 
mittee or  council  of  the  Society),  the  faculty  of  imparting  to 
rosaries  the  indulgence  of  St.  Bridget,  the  ordinary  indul- 
gence for  crosses  and  medals,  and  the  plenary  indulgence  and 
papal  benediction  in  the  hour  of  death.18  On  December  31, 
1871,  his  rescript  conceded  other  privileges  to  priests  who  are 
either  collectors  for  the  Society,  are  zealous  in  its  behalf,  or 
who  are  members  of  it.19  On  June  5,  1872,  another  rescript 


14.  Annales,  t.  XXIV,  pp.   81-88;   Propaganda   Transcripts,  Docu- 
mento  XLVIII,  Pio  IX  stabilises  che  le  graeie  spirituals  conoesse  dai 
suoi   predecessori    si    possono'   lucrare    dagli    ascritti    qualnnque    sia   la 
somma  da  essi  mensilmente  elargita.     Die  5  August!,  1851. 

15.  Annales,  t.  XXVI,  pp.  325-326;  Propaganda  Transcripts,  Docu- 
mento  L,  Pio  IX  accorda  ai  sacerdoti  ascritti  alia  Pia>  Opera  il  favore 
dell'altare  privilegiato.     Die  31  Decembris,  1853. 

16.  Annales,  t.  XXVII,  pp.  256-257;  Propaganda  Transcripts,  Docu- 
mento  LI,  Pio  IX  acoorda  ai  fanciulli  ascritti  alia  Pia  Opera  di  poter 
lucrare  le  indulgence  con  Vaccostarsi  scmplicemente  al  sacramento  della 
confessione.     17  Aprile,  1855. 

17.  Annales,  t.  XXXV,  pp.  5-7;  LOUVET,  op.  cit.,  p.  lla. 

18.  Annales,  t.  XXXVIII,  p.  253;   Propaganda  Transcripts,  Docu- 
mento  LII :  Pio  IX  accorda  ai  sacerdoti  che  avranno  raccolto  ogni  anno, 
o  dato  del  loro,  la  somma  di  L.  260,  ovvcro  che  facciano  parte  di  un 
Consiglio  o  di  un  Comitato  dell 'Opera,  la  facoltd  di  annettere  o  dare:" 
alle  coronc  le  indulgence  dette  di  S.  Brigida:   alle  croci  e  medaglie   le 
indulgence  ordinaric;  I'indulgenza  plenaria  e  la  benedisione  papale  in 
articulo  mortis.     Die  lanuarii,  1865. 

19.  Annales,  t.   XLIV,   pp.   79-83;    Propaganda   Transcripts,   Docu- 
mento  LIV,  Pio  IX  concede  altri  privilege  ai  sacerdoti  o  collettori  o 
zelatori  o  ascritti  alia  Pia  Opera.  Die  31  Decembris,  1871. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith          65 

granted  the  concession  of  a  plenary  indulgence  to  the  Asso- 
ciates on  the  occasion  of  the  Society's  fiftieth  anniversary.20 

The  first  rescript  of  Leo  XIII,  dated  June  16,  1878,  ampli- 
fied the  powers  and  faculties  accorded  to  the  priests  who  are 
collectors  of  the  Society.21  His  Encyclical  Letter  of  December 
3,  1880,  Sancta  Dei  Civitas  recommended  to  the  bishops  of 
the  Christian  world  the  Institutes  of  the  Propagation  of  the 
Faith,  of  the  Holy  Childhood  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  of  the 
Schools  of  the  Orient.  An  extract  from  this  memorable  En- 
cyclical follows: 

Eminet  autem  inter  ceteras  pia  consociatio  ante  annos  fere  sexa- 
ginta  Lugduni  in  Galliis  coalita,  quae  a  propagatione  fidei  nomen 
accepit.  Haec  primum  illuc  spectavit  ut  quibusdam  in  America  missioni- 
bus  opem  ferret:  mox  tamquam  granum  sinapis  in  arborem  ingentem 
excrevit  cuius  rami  late  frondescunt,  adeoque  ad  missioned  omnes,  quae 
ubique  terrarum  sunt,  actuosam  beneficentiam  porrigit.  Praeclarum  hoc 
institutum  celeriter  Ecclesiae  pastoribus  probatum  fuit  et  luculentis 
laudam  testimoniis  honestatum.  Komani  illud  Pontifices  Pius  VII, 
Leo  XII,  Pius  VIII,  Decessores  Nostri  et  commendarunt  vehementer  et 
In dulgenti arum  donis  ditaverunt.  Ac  multo  etiam  studiosus  fovit  et 
plane  caritate  paterna  complexus  est  Gregorius  XVI.  .  .  .  Eodem 
tempore  aemulatio  pietatis  effecit  ut  binae  aliae  societatis  coalescerent 
quarum  altera  a  Sacra  lesu  Christi  infantia  altera  a  Scholis  Orientis 
nuncupata  est.  .  .  .  Itaque  cum  tria  sodalitis  tarn  certa  Pontificum 
Maximorum  gratia  floruerint,  cumque  opus  singula  suum  studio  con- 
cordi  urgere  numquam  desierint,  uberes  edidere  salutis  fructus,  Con- 
gregatione  Nostri  de  Propaganda  Fide  haud  mediocre  attulere  subsidium 
et  levamen  ad  sustinenda  missionum  onera,  atque  ita  vigere  visa  sunt  ut 
laetam  quoque  spem  facerent  in  posterum  segetis  amplioris.22 

On  December  6,  1883,  Leo  XIII,  expressed  his  appreciation 
of  Les  Missions  Catholiques.™  His  rescript  of  May  25,  1885, 


20.  Annales,  t.  XLIV,  pp.  315-317;  Propaganda  Transcripts,  Docu- 
mento  LV :  Pio  IX  ringrizia  i  Consigli  di  Lione  e  Parigi  per  i  voti  da 
loro  espressi  in  occasione  dcll'SQmo  genetliaco   e   del   50mo   delta  fon- 
dazione  delta  pia  Opera.  5  Giugno,  1872. 

21.  Annales,  t.  LI,  p.  5. 

22.  Annales,  t.   LIII,   p.   79;    Propaganda   Transcripts,  Documento 
LVI:  Epistola  Encyclica  de  institutis  a  propagatione  Fidei  a  Sacra  lesu 
Christi  infantia  et  a  scholis  orientis  provehendis;   Sancta  Dei  Ci/vitas. 
Leo  PP.  XIII,  Die  III  Decembris,  1880. 

23.  Annales,  t.  LVI,  p.  63. 


66          The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

accorded  new  indulgences  to  the  Associates.24  On  August  4, 
1889,  Leo  XIII,  extended  new  indulgences  to  all  priests  who 
are  members  of  the  Society  or  zealous  in  its  behalf  or  who 
have  paid  in  whatever  money  has  been  collected  by  them.20 
Another  Encyclical  Letter  of  Leo  XIII,  in  favor  of  the  Society 
was  written  on  December  25,  1894,  the  Christi  Nomen.  We 
translate  the  following  passage  of  this  letter: 

For  this  reason  we  have  never  ceased  to  favor,  to  multiply  the  holy 
missions  which  spread  the  lights  of  the  Christian  faith  among  the 
people  lost  in  the  darkness  and  the  Societies  which  sustain  them  by  the 
subsidies  collected  from  the  faithful.  ...  A  Society  which  has 
loaned  to  the  missions  of  the  entire  world  such  an  efficacious  aid  and 
promises  for  the  future  still  more  abundant  assistance.  And  with  the 
blessing  of  God  our  words  obtained  a  happy  result;  the  generosities  of 
the  faithful  respond  to  the  urgent  and  zealous  appeal  of  the 
bishops  and  the  well-meriting  Society  has  made  notable  progress  in 
these  latter  years.  But  now  more  urgent  needs  lay  claim  to  an  increase 
of  zeal  and  generosity  on  the  part  of  Catholics,  and  on  your  part, 
Venerable  Brothers,  to  all  your  intelligent  activity.  .  .  .  With  what 
singular  care,  we  are  thinking  of  the  Orient  and  of  its  illustrious  and 
venerable  churches,  Our  Apostolic  letters  concerning  the  necessity  of 
conserving  and  of  defending  the  discipline  of  the  Orientals,  have  made 
you  understand  it.  ...  But  to  the  help  from  on  high,  human 
means  must  be  added  and  we  must  neglect  nothing  in  what  depends 
on  us  to  seek  out  and  to  indicate  all  the  measures  suitable  for  obtaining 
the  coveted  result. 

To  bring  back  to  the  unique  Church  all  those  Orientals  whatsoever, 
which  are  separated  from  it,  you  see  Venerable  Brothers,  there  is  need 
at  the  outset  of  recruiting  a  numerous  clergy  from  among  themselves, 
a  clergy  commendable  by  its  doctrine  and  its  piety,  and  capable  of 
inspiring  in  the  others  the  desire  of  union;  then,  to  multiply  as  far 
as  possible,  these  institutions  in  which  the  knowledge  and  discipline 
shall  be  taught  in  bringing  them  into  harmony  with  the  particular 
genius  of  the  nation.  It  is  also  very  opportune  to  open  everywhere  that 
it  will  be  advantageous,  special  houses  for  the  education  of  the  clerical 


24.  Annalcs,  t.  LVII,  pp.  265,  345;  Propaganda  Transcripts,  Doou- 
mento  LVII  I:   Leone  XIII  concede  altre  indulgence  agli  ascritti,  Die 
24  Maii,  1885. 

25.  Annalcs,  LXI,  p.  414;  Propaganda  Transcripts,  Documcnto  LIX: 
Leone  XIII  estende  a  tutti  i  sacerdoti  ascritti  alia  Pia  Opera  le  indul- 
gence accordate  dai  suoi  predecessori  ai  sacerdoti  membri  di  un  Con- 
siglio  o  zclatori,  qualunque  sia  la  somma  da,  essi  racoolta,  o  vcrsata.  4 
Augusti,  1889. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith          67 

youth,  colleges  in  proportion  to  the  importance  of  the  population,  in 
order  that  each  rite  may  be  practised  with  dignity,  and  that  the  dif- 
fusion of  their  best  books  initiate  all  the  faithful  into  the  knowledge 
of  their  national  religion.  The  realization  of  these  and  of  other  similar 
projects,  you  readily  understand  will  necessitate  great  expenses,  and 
you  also  understand  that  the  Oriental  Churches  are  unable  to  suffice  by 
themselves,  for  such  numerous  and  such  heavy  charges,  and  it  is  not 
possible  for  us,  in  the  midst  of  these  difficult  times  through  which  we 
are  passing,  to  contribute  ourselves,  in  the  measure  we  desire.  It 
remains  for  us  therefore,  to  request,  within  the  bounds  of  moderation, 
the  largest  part  of  the  subsidies  necessary,  from  the  Society  whose 
praise  we  have  sounded,  and  whose  object  is  in  perfect  conformity  with 
that  which  we  have  at  heart.  .  .  .  It  is  just  to  also  recommend  the 
similar  and  so  useful  Society  of  the  Schools  of  tlw  Orient,  whose  directors 
are  equally  engaged  in  applying  to  the  same  object,  the  largest  possible 
portion  of  the  alms  which  they  collect.  .  .  .  Make  then,  every  effort, 
Venerable  Brothers,  in  order  that  the  Association  for  the  Propagation 
of  the  Faith  make  the  largest  possible  development  among  you.28 

On  December  12,  1903,  Pius  X  in  a  brief  filled  with  praise, 
expressed  his  joy  at  seeing  the  periodical,  Les  Missions  Catho- 
liques,  translated  into  various  languages.27  In  a  brief  of 
March  25,  1904,  Pius  X  highly  praised  the  Society  and  its 
patron.  A  portion  of  this  brief  is  as  follows : 

In  the  first  rank,  by  its  utility  and  its  action,  is  placed  this  Society, 
so  worthy  of  sovereign  praise,  which  has  received  the  illustrious  name 
of  The  Propagaton  of  the  Faith.  It  seems  to  have  been  born  and 
made  its  appearance  in  the  midst  of  men  by  an  inspiration  wholly 
divine;  for  it  is  in  conformity  with  the  plan  of  the  Providence  of  God 
that  the  faithful  people  of  the  Church  who  have  not  received  the  mission 
of  preaching  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  nevertheless  aid  by  their  assistance 
and  subsidies,  the  heralds  of  the  Gospel.  That  is  why  the  love  of 
Christ  the  Eedeemer  moved  the  hearts  of  excellent  men,  inspired  them 


26.  Annales,    t.    LXVII,    p.    84;    Propaganda    Transcripts,    Docu- 
mento  LX:  Enciclica  di  Leone  XIII  in  favore  delta  Pia  Opera.  "Christi 
Nomcn."     Die  XXV   Decembris   anno  MDCCCXCIV.        Pontifical   Re- 
script according  indulgences  to   the  priests  who  are  collectors   for  the 
Society  is  published  in  the  Annales,  t.  LXVIII,  p.  468.     The  response 
of  Leo  XIII  to  the  doubt  submitted  to  him  by  the  Sacred  Congregation 
of  Indulgences  is  given  in  the  Annales,  t.  LXXXI,  p.  384. 

27.  Annales,  t.  LXXVI,  fasc.  453,  supplement;  Missions  Catholiqucs, 
t.  XXXV,  pp.  613-614;  Propaganda  Transcripts,  Documcnto  LXI:  Pio 
X  si  rallegra  con  la  Pia  Opera  per  la  pubblicazione  del  periodico  Les> 
Missions  Catholiques,  tradotte  in  parecchie  lingue.     Die  XII  Decembris, 
MCMIII. 


68  The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

to  unite  in  an  Association  the  faithful  of  all  the  peoples  and  of  all  the 
nations;  to  have  them  contribute  of  their  goods  to  the  holy  expeditions 
of  the  missionaries;  to  come  to  the  assistance  of  the  dispensers  of  holy 
things,  in  associating  their  prayer  and  thus  to  obtain  the  object  of  all 
their  desires  the  progress  of  the  kingdom  of  God  upon  earth.  Everyone 
knows  that  such  an  association  has  grandly  merited  from  the  propagation 
of  the  Christian  faith.  If  the  resources  permit  the  envoys  of  the 
Catholic  doctrine  to  reach  the  most  distant  and  the  most  barbarous 
countries  and  to  bring  to  them  the  benefits  of  our  holy  religion  and  of 
our  civilization,  it  is  to  the  generosity  of  this  noble  Association  that  it 
must  be  attributed.  .  .  .  Wherefore,  in  virtue  of  our  Apostolic 
authority  and  by  the  present  letters  solely  for  this  motive  we  absolve 
and  declare  absolved  from  all  excommunication,  suspension,  interdict, 
and  other  sentences,  censures  and  ecclesiastical  poena,  if  by  chance  they 
have  been  incurred,  all  and  each  of  them  in  favor  of  whom  the  said 
letters  are  given;  and  in  order,  to  the  exterior  support  furnished  to  the 
Association,  may  be  equally  added  the  protection  and  the  grace  from 
on  high  we  choose  for  it  and  give  St.  Francis  Xavier  as  its  Heavenly 
Patron  and  we  desire  that  to  this  Saint  there  be  accorded  all  the 
honors  due  to  Heavenly  Patrons;  moreover,  that  the  extension  of  his 
culte  and  that  an  increase  of  liturgical  honors  may  still  more  increase 
his  glory  we  elevate  his  Feast  to  the  rite  of  a  double-major,  conformably 
to  the  rubrics,  for  the  universal  church.  And,  doubtless,  the  generous 
efforts  of  Catholics,  even  if  they  be  isolated  cases  of  individual 
liberalities,  contribute  much  to  this  result;  but  nothing  would  be  more 
profitable  than  the  organization  of  groups  of  ten  among  the  Catholics 
according  to  the  very  wise  rule;  for  the  less  cohesion  the  efforts  have 
the  less  is  the  effect  produced,  and  on  the  contrary,  united  and  pre- 
scribed efforts  are  most  powerful.  To  act  individually,  we  say,  is  to  do 
well;  but  to  act  altogether  is  to  do  as  one  should.28 

On  February  1,  1908,  Pius  X  conceded  other  privileges 
to  priests  who  are  members  of  the  pious  Society.29 

Benedict  XV,  in  a  brief  of  January  6,  1916,  renewed  the 
benevolence  of  his  predecessors  towards  the  Society  : 

Truly  with  the  blessing  of  God  your  solicitude  and  your  zeal  have 
produced  abundant  fruits  as  the  subscriptions  attest  which  you  have 
obtained  from  the  faithful  and  the  enterprises  of  Apostolic  labors  which 

28.  Annalcs,  t.  LXXVI,  fasc.  455,  supplement;   Propaganda  Tran- 

della  ^  °vera' 


. 

29.  Annales,  t.  LXXX,  fasc.  478,  supplement;  Propaganda  Tran- 
scripts. Documento  LX1V  :  Pio  X  concede  privilcgi  ai  sacerdoti  ascritti 
alia  pia  Opera.  Die  I  Februarii,  MDCCCVIII 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith          69 

they  have  permitted  to  multiply,  but  alas  at  the  very  moment  that  we 
would  wish  that  the  charity  of  Catholics  become  more  generous  for 
this  Society  we  have  seen  a  distressing  group  of  circumstances  which 
your  piety  rightly  deplores  for  the  same  reason  as  ours,  reduce  at  once 
the  number  of  sacred  ministers  and  the  subsidies  which  are  necessary 
for  the  missions  of  the  Church.80 

On  November  28,  1919,  Benedict  XV  recommended  the 
Society  in  his  Encyclical  Maximum  Illud*1  Since  the  one 
hundredth  anniversary  of  the  foundation  of  the  Society  for 
the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  occurs  on  May  3rd  of  this  year 
(1922),  the  Catholic  worFd  anticipates  some  new  favors  and 
commendations  from  His  Holiness,  Pius  XI. 

Besides  all  these  evidences  of  Papal  sympathy  and  support, 
hundreds  of  bishops  throughout  the  world  have  raised  their 
voices  in  the  favor  of  this  Society  and  have  called  the  atten- 
tion of  their  clergy  to  it.  One  year  after  his  acceptance  of 
the  Presidency  of  the  Superior  Council,  on  August  18,  1823, 
the  Grand  Chaplain  of  France,  Mgr.  de  Croy  wrote  to  all 
the  bishops  of  France  to  recommend  the  Society  to  them, 
for  it  had  already  stood  the  test  arid  obtained  the  benediction 
of  Rome.*2  The  bishops  hastened  to  promise  their  support  to 
the  infant  institution,  formed  committees  and  wrote  pastoral 
letters.  From  all  parts  there  also  arrived  expressions  of 
thanks  and  testimonies  of  gratitude  to  a  Society  which  had 
already  rendered  such  signal  services  and  which  was  destined, 
with  the  advance  of  years,  to  render  still  greater  services. 
The  Cardinal  Prince  de  Croy  believed  he  ought  to  join  his 
felicitations  to  all  those  which  were  extended  to  the  So4ety 
and  on  the  fifth  of  November,  1824,  he  wrote  to  M.  de  Verna, 
President  of  the  Central  Council  of  Lyons : 

Since  I  have  had  the  honor  to  preside  over  the  Association  for  the 
Propagation  of  the  Faith,  you  as  well  as  the  members  of  the  Central 
Council  over  which  you  preside  have  given  me  the  proof  of  your  zeal 
for  the  success  of  this  splendid  work.  It  is  with  very  sweet  satisfaction 


30.  Annales,    t.    LXXXVIII,    fasc.    525,    supplement;    Propaganda 
Transcripts,  Documento  LXV :  Benedetto  XV  rinnova  alia  pia  Opera  la 
benevolenza  dei  suoi  predecessor i.     Die  VI  lanuarii,  MCMXVI. 

31.  FRERI,  op.  cit.,  in  the  Annals,  vol.  LXXXV,  p.  62,  1922. 

32.  Annales,  t.  I,  fasc.  iii,  pp.  12-14;  GUASCO,  op.  cit.,  p.  47. 


70          The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

that  I  have  seen  both  what  true  Christians  can  do  and  what  they  are 
doing,  animated  like  yourself  by  the  desire  of  extending  tne  knowledge 
of  our  holy  religion  and  to  concur  in  the  salvation  of  souls.  Kindly 
accept,  and  make  known  to  the  members  of  the  different  Councils,  and 
to  all  those  that  are  associated  with  us  for  this  same  end,  the  assurance 
of  how  much  I  am  touched  by  their  generous  efforts  and  by  the  success 
with  which  God  has  deigned  to  crown  these  efforts  in  the  Society  of 
France.38 

From  a  large  number  of  bishops,  who  followed  the  example 
of  the  Vicar  of  Christ,  recommendations  have  been  given  in 
favor  of  this  Society.  From  the  time  of  its  foundation  in 
1822  until  1894,  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 
had  been  recommended  to  the  faithful  by  620  pastoral  letters 
which  may  be  grouped  as  follows :  France  and  Colonies,  297 
pastorals ;  Italy,  208  ;  America,  42 ;  Belgium,  12 ;  England  and 
Ireland,  11 ;  Germany,  11 ;  Switzerland,  9  ;  Asia,  3  ;  Spain,  3  ; 
Australia,  2.34 

The  proposition  in  favor  of  the  Society  for  the  Propaga- 
tion of  the  Faith  presented  to  the  Congregation  of  Eminent 
and  Reverend  Fathers  of  the  Vatican  Council  instituted  to 
receive  the  propositions  of  the  Fathers,  by  the  Most  Reverend 
Patriarchs,  Archbishops  and  Bishops  placed  in  charge  of 
the  government  of  the  Missions,  in  January,  1870,  was  the 
most  important  episcopal  endorsement  the  Society  ever  re- 
ceived. A  translation  of  it  is  therefore  given  in  full : 

Venerable  Fathers: 

Among  the  different  pious  societies  which  due  to  the  approbation 
of  the  Holy  See  and  the  favor  of  the  bishops,  sustain  our  missions  by 
the  prayers  and  alms  of  the  faithful,  that  which  bears  the  name  of 
Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  undoubtedly  ranks  first. 

It  is  from  it  indeed,  that  nearly  all  of  us,  without  any  exception  of 
nation  or  of  person,  receive  the  food  and  clothing,  that  with  which  the 
Apostle  St.  Paul  declares  evangelic  workers  should  be  content;  it  is 
by  its  help  that  the  Catholic  institutions  are  established  and  developed, 
the  Catholic  institutions  and  the  works  of  mercy  which  so  eloquently 
announce  the  Lord  Jesus  to  the  eyes  of  the  peoples  who  know  Him 
not,  and  who  are  plunged  in  error;  these  works  and  these  institutions 


33.  Annates,  t.  I,  fasc.  v,  pp.  29-30;  ibid.,  t.  II,  p.  55. 

34.  LOUVET,  op.  cit.,  p.  lla. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith          71 

are  so  many  striking  signs  by  which  we  are  recognized  as  the  veritable 
disciples  of  the  true  God,  in  spite  of  all  indignity. 

Profiting  therefore  by  the  happy  and  holy  occasion  which  unites 
us  all,  from  the  most  distant  regions  of  the  world,  at  the  feet  of  the 
Supreme  Pastor,  we  have  the  unanimous  desire  of  manifesting  the 
immense  gratitude  which  fills  our  hearts  for  this  pious  Society,  the 
nurse  and  almost  the  mother  of  all  the  missions.  We  have  at  heart  to 
recommend  it  to  the  venerable  prelates  who  sit  in  the  holy  council  and 
particularly,  to  the  chief  of  all  the  prelates  and  of  all  the  church,  to 
the  Sovereign  Pontiff  Pius  IX,  whose  paternal  benevolence  we  have 
already  so  often  experienced. 

This  paternal  benevolence  and  your  own,  Venerable  Fathers,  appears 
today  to  be  much  more  necessary  for  the  development  of  this  Society 
since  now  for  many  years,  the  alms  it  receives  for  the  Propagation  of 
the  Faith,  instead  of  increasing  as  heretofore,  remain  stationary,  or 
even  as  has  happened  this  year,  run  the  risk  of  diminishing. 

There  results  from  this,  on  the  one  hand,  that  the  Society  for  the 
Propagation  of  the  Faith,  finds  it  impossible  to  suitably  sustain  all  the 
missions  whose  number  has  increased;  while  on  the  other  hand,  the 
ministers  in  the  regions  committed  to  our  care,  lavish  immense  sums, 
whose  amount  increases  each  year,  to  pervert  souls,  or  rather  to  buy 
them  by  a  sacrilegious  bargain. 

An  extreme  danger  menaces  our  missions  and  to  avoid  it,  it  is 
necessary  to  inspire  in  the  faithful,  new  ardor  in  order  that  recalling 
their  ancient  energy,  this  grand  society  may  always  make  new  progress. 

And  we  are  confident  that  a  single  word  from  the  Holy  See  and 
the  Ecumenical  Council  will  produce  a  result  which  is  so  desirable  and 
so  advantageous  for  the  propagation  of  the  Christian  name  in  the  whole 
world. 

Belying  on  these  sacred  motives,  Venerable  Fathers,  we  humbly 
request  that  among  the  decrees  relating  to  the  Catholic  missions  which 
must  be  presented  to  the  holy  Ecumenical  Council  of  the  Vatican,  one  bo 
added  by  which  the  Church  accords  to  the  Society  for  the  Propagation 
of  the  Faith  a  solemn  consecration  and  a  new  recommendation. 

We  cannot  doubt  that  such  a  decision  would  be  suitable  to  animate 
the  zeal  of  the  so  Catholic  directors  of  this  pious  Society,  and  to  inspire 
in  the  faithful  a  sustained  zeal  in  the  places  where  it  has  seemed  to 
languish. 

That  is  then,  Venerable  Fathers,  the  favor  which  we  humbly  ask 
of  you  as  well  as  of  the  Ecumenical  Council,  glorying  in  styling  our- 
selves. 

Your  very  humble  and  very  devoted  servants  and  brothers, 

(Then  follow  the  signatures  of  one  hundred  and  fifty-one  mis- 
sionary bishops.)85 


35.  In  the  Annales,  t.  XLII,  pp.  159-161. 


72          The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

The  bishops  of  the  Catholic  nations  of  the  Old  and  the 
New  World  have  on  several  occasions  given  to  the  Society  of 
the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  marks  of  their  high  sympathy 
and  generous  cooperation  by  means  of  these  pastoral  letters 
which  they  have  issued,  which,  when  they  were  received  by 
the  Central  Councils,  had  the  effect  of  both  a  recompense  and 
an  encouragement.36  One  might  say  that  the  bishops  of  all 
the  Sees  of  France  have  successively  recommended  the  great 
Society  to  the  Faithful  with  high  commendation.  On  the 
occasion  of  the  solemn  Triduum  celebrated  at  Lyons  in  honor 
of  the  Blessed  Perboyre  and  Chanel,  their  Eminences,  the 
Cardinals  of  Lyons  and  Paris,  made  an  urgent  appeal  in 
favor  of  the  Society  of  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith.87  At 
the  time  of  the  appearance  of  the  Encyclical  Christi  Nomen, 
a  large  number  of  pastoral  letters  gave  echo  to  the  word  of 
the  Venerable  Chief  of  the  Church.38  The  Annales  have  pub- 
lished excerpts  from  the  sermons  of  His  Eminence  the  Car- 
dinal Archbishop  of  Rheims,  and  of  the  Archbishops  of  Aix, 
of  Albi,  of  Sorrento ;  the  Bishop  of  Carcassonne,  of  Val- 
ence, of  Vannes,  of  Versailles,  of  Saint  Flour,  of  Montpelier, 
of  Oran,  and  of  Auckland.  The  pastoral  letter  of  the  Bishop 
of  Nevers  of  December  25,  1890 ;  of  the  Archbishop  of  Mexico 
of  February  12,  1890 ;  of  the  Bishop  of  Puebla  of  August  8, 
1890;  of  Leon  and  of  Vera-Cruz,  in  1891;  of  Syracuse  in 
1895,  of  la  Platta  in  1898,  of  San-Juan-de  Cuyo  (Argentine 
Republic)  in  1900,  of  Ancud  (Chile)  in  1903,  were  also  cited.38 

The  long  list  of  testimonials  given  in  favor  of  the  Society 
for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith,  can  hardly  be  exhausted. 
In  the  words  of  a  venerable  South  American  prelate,  the 
Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  was  the  "marvel 
of  the  XIX  century,  thei  most  eminent  which  the  religion  of 
Jesus  Christ  has  inspired  in  recent  times."  It  is  a  work 
eminently  Catholic,  and  it  has  often  been  so  qualified  by  the 


36.  Proposition  en  faveur  de  la  Propagation  de  la  Foi,  presentee 
aux  PP.  du  Concile  du  Vatican  par  cent  cinquante-un  eveques  mission- 
naires,  in  the  Annales,  t.  XLII,  pp.  159-161. 

37.  Annales,  t.  LXII,  p.  7. 

38.  Annales,  t.  LXVII,  pp.  229,  et  seq. 

39.  L'Oeuvre,  etc.,  p.  33,  1908. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith          73 

Chief  Pastors.  Not  only  from  Missions  but  from  all  parts 
of  the  Christian  world,  from  France,  Ireland,  Belgium,  Italy, 
Spain,  Germany,  the  United  States,  Mexico,  the  Argentine 
Republic  and  other  South  American  republics,  the  Central 
Councils  have  been  continually  rewarded  by  the  most  gratify- 
ing letters.  In  the  eloquent  words  of  the  illustrious  prelate, 
Bishop  Freppel,  it  may  be  said : 

"May  God's  Kingdom  come!  May  it  come  for  those  infidel  peoples 
still  living  in  darkness  and  in  the  shadow  of  death  I  May  it  come  for 
those  idolatrous  races  who  know  not  Jesus  Christ,  who  are  deprived  of 
the  light  and  the  consolations  of  the  Faith ;  who  have  not,  like  us,  those 
divine  remedies  against  sin  that  the  Church  offers  to  her  children  1  May 
it  come  also  for  those  countries  in  the  East  which  are  being  moved  at 
this  moment  by  the  life-giving  spirit  of  God;  may  it  come  also  for  those 
perishing  branches  which  for  centuries  have  been  detached  by  schism 
from  the  trunk  of  Catholic  unity  I  And,  finally,  may  it  come  for  our 
separated  brethren  in  both  the  old  and  new  world  who  have  retained 
but  a  few  shreds  of  doctrine  and  some  semblance  of  Christian  life  I 
Adveniat  regnum  tuum!  Then,  when  that  glorious  day  shall  have 
dawned  upon  the  world,  that  day  of  spiritual  birth  for  some  and 
of  resurrection  for  others,  if  we  would  wish  to  know  the  source  of  these 
divine  blessings,  we  shall  find,  I  say,  as  the  principal  instrument  in 
God's  right  hand,  the  society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith.  This 
kingdom  of  God  on  earth  will  be  its  terrestrial  crown,  whilst  awaiting 
the  time  when  it  shall  please  God  to  grant  its  active  and  zealous 
members  their  eternal  reward.40 

Reference  has  already  been  made  to  the  letters  of  Bishops 
Du  Bourg  and  Flaget,  commenting  upon  the  Rules  of  the 
Association  shortly  after  its  foundation.  The  optimistic 
attitude  they  assumed  towards  the  Society  proved  fully 
justified,  especially  in  reference  to  the  Church  in  the  United 
States,  which  is  evidenced  by  the  letters  written  to  the  Society 
and  in  favor  of  the  Society  by  the  provincial  and  national 
Councils.  The  first  Provincial  Council  of  Baltimore,  on  the 
eve  of  its  conclusion,  addressed  a  joint  letter  of  thanks 
to  the  Councils  of  the  Society  of  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 
which  follows : 


40.  FRERI,  op.  cit.,  in  the  Annals,  vol.  LXXXV,  p.  64,  1922. 


74          The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

We  eagerly  seize  the  favorable  occasion  in  which  we  are  united  in 
national  council  to  testify  to  His  Eminence  the  President  of  the 
Society  of  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith,  to  the  Councils  which  direct  it, 
and  to  all  the  members  of  which  it  is  composed,  our  lively  and  sincere 
gratitude  for  the  extraordinary  favors  which  most  of  us  have  received 
from  this  zealous  and  generous  association.  Even  those  among  the 
bishops  who  have  not  yet  participated  in  its  benevolence,  convinced  that 
all  the  amounts  distributed  into  the  hands  of  their  confreres  have 
served  to  form  establishments  extremely  advantageous  to  the  progress 
of  our  holy  religion,  rejoice  in  this  before  the  Lord,  and  from  the 
depths  of  their  hearts  join  their  thanks  to  those  of  their  confreres  who 
have  been  more  privileged;  hoping  that  in  the  future  donations  this 
inexhaustible  association  will  deign  to  recall  their  names  and  furnish 
them  the  same  means  to  make  religion  flourish  in  their  respective 
dioceses.  Thus,  this  beautiful  Church  of  France,  but  a  short  while  ago 
purified  by  a  persecution  not  less  murderous  than  those  which  took 
place  under  the  pagan  emperors,  today  offers  to  the  Christian  world 
the  holy  and  touching  example  of  the  primitive  church.  For,  as  in 
former  times,  the  Christendom  of  Greece  and  that  of  the  Holy  City 
generously  contributed  to  the  Holy  Church  of  the  Gauls  in  sending  their 
missionaries  filled  with  the  Apostolic  spirit  and  abundant  alms, 
eighteen  centuries  afterwards  this  France,  justly  grateful,  distributes  in 
her  turn  into  the  new  world  immense  sums  for  the  formation  of  new 
churches  and  sends  here  missionaries  who  endeavor  to  tread  in  the 
footsteps  of  the  Apostles. 

Oh,  may  Heaven  grant  that  the  generosity  of  this  illustrious 
Church  of  Christ  will  place  us  in  a  position  to  be  able,  in  our  turn,  to 
form  churches  which  will  not  delay  to  be  established  from  the  banks 
of  the  Missouri  as  far  as  the  Pacific  Ocean!  In  this  holy  expectation 
will  you  not  seek  to  e'ncourage  the  faithful  confided  to  our  care  to  pray 
for  their  pious  benefactors;  whilst  the  bishops  and  the  clergy  of  the 
United  States  make  it  a  duty  never  to  offer  the  sacrifice  from  our  altars 
without  thinking  of  all  the  members  of  the  venerable  Association  of 
the  Propagation  of  the  Faith,  and  of  the  most  Christian  king,  who 
encourages  such  holy  institutions  in  his  vast  empire. 

Penetrated  with  all  these  sentiments,  we  have  the  honor  to  be,  of 
all  the  members  of  the  Association  (for  the  Propagation)  of  the  Faith, 
the  very  grateful  and  very  devoted  servants,  James,  Archbishop  of 
Baltimore,  Benedict  Joseph,  Bishop  of  Bardstown,  John,  Bishop  of 
Charleston,  Edward,  Bishop  of  St.  Louis,  Benedict,  Bishop  of  Boston, 
William  Mathew,  Administrator  of  the  Diocese  of  Philadelphia.41 


41.  Annales,  t.  IV,  pp.  112-114. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith          75 

In  1830,  Bishop  Du  Bourg,  at  that  time  Bishop  of 
Montauban,  France,  wrote  a  letter  on  the  Society  from  which 
the  following  is  cited: 

Asia  and  Africa  have  their  missionaries  of  whom  we  will  speak 
in  a  moment  and  America  also  has  hers  to  whom  we  are  bound,  my 
dearest  brethren,  by  an  affection,  the  cause  of  which  you  understand. 
There  is  in  America  a  vast  and  flourishing  country  known  by  the  name 
of  the  United  States  where  some  men,  animated  by  invincible  courage 
and  boundless  charity,  labor  to  establish  the  realm  of  Jesus  Christ  and 
to  make  His  Gospel  prosper.  The  most  consoling  and  most  unexpected 
successes  are  every  day  attained  to  encourage  their  efforts  and  increase 
their  hopes.  Everywhere,  at  the  voice  of  the  generous  Apostles,  the 
awakened  people  come  out  of  their  indifference,  abjure  their  errors, 
prostrate  themselves  before  their  new  altars,  rejoicing  to  be  able  to 
address  to  God  their  sentiments  of  gratitude  for  the  inappreciable 
benefit  of  their  vocation  to  the  faith.  In  a  small  number  of  years, 
ten  dioceses,  established  on  most  solid  bases,  several  seminaries  perfectly 
organized,  numerous  colleges  confided  to  very  learned  and  very  respec- 
table priests,  preachers  full  of  zeal  and  talent,  pious  and  benevolent 
associations,  convents,  monasteries  and  an  ever  increasing  multitude  of 
faithful  and  devout  Christians  promise  to  this  infant  church  a  long 
and  glorious  prosperity.42 

On  October  26,  1833,  a  letter  from  the  Fathers  of  the 
Second  Council  of  Baltimore  to  the  Central  Councils  of  the 
Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith,  said  in  part: 

.  .  .  The  benevolent  hand,  which  in  your  Catholic  zeal,  you 
extend  over  all  parts  of  the  earth  has  spread  a  holy  joy  both  in  our 
cities  and  as  far  as  the  extremity  of  our  forests  and  our  deserts:  the 
religion,  of  which  we  are  the  interpreters  owes  you  its  vows  (voeux) 
and  its  prayers,  and  has  inspired  us  to  offer  them  to  you  according  to 
the  ancient  custom  terminating  the  sessions  of  this  Council.  If  it  is 
consoling  for  us  to  contemplate  the  holy  eagerness  of  the  faithful  of 
France  to  share  with  America  the  heritage  of  charity  which  they  have 
received  from  Asia  it  will  not  be  less  consoling  for  you  to  learn  that 
the  grain  which  you  have  planted  is  bearing  fruit;  that  new  temples 
rise  up  each  day  for  the  worship  of  the  true  God;  that  in  nearly  all 
our  dioceses  we  have  established  seminaries;  that  the  colleges  founded 
for  the  instruction  and  the  religious  education  of  the  youth  obtain 
an  astonishing  success;  that  the  convents  are  multiplied;  that  the 
natives  shall  finally  be  assisted;  that  320  laborers  at  present  work 


42.  Annales,  t.  IV,  p.  262. 


76          The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

in  the  vineyard  of  the  Lord  and  that  a  number  twice  as  large  or  even 
greater  still  would  scarcely  respond  to  the  needs  of  our  vast  province. 
The  twelfth  diocese  will  be  born  without  delay.  Pray  therefore,  our 
well  beloved,  that  those  who  are  the  successors  of  the  Apostles  and 
who  represent  them  in  this  important  portion  of  the  new  world,  in 
equaling  their  number  walk  in  their  footsteps,  everywhere  carrying 
before  them  the  torch  of  the  faith  and  that  of  Apostolic  virtues;  then 
your  works  shall  be  worthily  crowned  and  the  sowing  of  the  grain  of 
mustard  seed  which  you  have  sprinkled  with  your  generous  contribu- 
tions will  become  a  large  tree  in  the  shadow  of  which  other  peoples 
will  be  able  to  take  refuge.48 

The  Fathers  of  the  Fourth  Provincial  Council  of  Balti- 
more wrote  to  the  Presidents  of  the  Councils  of  the  South 
and  of  the  North  (Lyons  and  Paris)  and  to  the  members  of 
the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  on  May  23, 
1840: 

By  the  benefit  of  a  merciful  Providence  you  were  inspired,  our 
dear  brethren,  to  come  to  the  aid  of  the  American  Church  at  the  very 
epoch  when,  leaving  a  state  of  infancy,  it  sought  a  protecting  hand  to 
steady  its  tottering  steps  and  to  send  it  forth  into  the  desert  to  seek 
there  the  abandoned  sheep.  A  happy  and  noble  inspiration  which 
impelled  you,  in  the  land  sprinkled  by  the  blood  of  Pothin  and  Irenaeus, 
of  these  generous  martyrs  who  seem  to  have  bequeathed  to  you  the 
beautiful  mission  of  in  some  way  rendering  to  the  entire  universe  this 
heritage  of  faith  which  you  received  from  Asia.  Your  Society,  like 
the  grain  of  mustard  of  which  the  Gospel  speaks,  has  developed  with 
that  vigor  of  life  which  comes  from  on  high;  and  after  you  have  had 
scarcely  a  few  years  of  existence  you  have  already  extended  its  branches 
of  benevolence  as  far  as  the  extremities  of  the  earth  and  you  have 
accompanied  the  priest  of  Jesus  Christ  amongst  the  peoples  so  long 
seated  in  the  shadow  of  death.  We  rejoice,  our  dear  brethren,  in  these 
superabundant  benedictions  which  God  showers  upon  you,  for  if  even 
the  glass  of  cold  water  given  in  the  name  of  His  Disciple  is  not  without 
merit  for  eternal  life;  if  God  contemplates  with  joy  the  widow's  mite, 
you  who  by  your  common  offerings  sustain  the  existence  of  his  zealous 
ministers  who  divide  the  world,  have  you  not  the  sacred  right  to  the 
recompense  of  a  prophet  ?  44 


43.  Annales,  t.  VI,  pp.  632-634;  Missions  Catholiques,  t.  IX,  p.  523, 
1877. 

44.  Annales,  t.  XII,  pp.  409-410. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith          77 

The  Fathers  of  the  Fifth  Council  of  Baltimore  on  May 
20,  1843,  sent  a  letter  to  the  Presidents,  Directors  and 
Members  of  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith. 

No  one  can  appreciate  with  more  justice  the  benefits  of  this 
Catholic  spirit  and  the  miracles  of  this  ardent  charity  which  sustain  as 
far  as  the  extremities  of  the  earth  the  torch  of  faith  than  those  who,  in 
the  new  world  have  seen  at  close  range  the  progress  of  the  grain  of 
mustard  seed  which  becomes  a  tree  and  furnishes  shade  and  repose 
to  those  who  have  grown  weary  in  the  ways  and  the  errors  of  this 
mortal  life.  Twenty-five  years  have  scarcely  passed  by  and  already 
seventeen  pastors  are  united  in  the  Sanctuary  of  the  Metropolis  to  form 
new  flocks,  to  call  around  them  other  collaborators,  to  carry  to  the  Holy 
See  a  testimony  of  their  veneration  and  of  their  entire  submission  and 
to  make  uniform  by  uniting  their  counsels  and  their  experiences,  the 
ecclesiastical  discipline.  ...  It  is  God  that  has  done  all  these 
things.  .  .  .  It  is  to  your  Society  to  which  we  in  large  part  owe 
these  marvels:  it  is  to  your  charitable  solicitude  that  we  recommend 
our  infant  churches;  you  will  aid  us  to  lay  these  foundations  (six  new 
dioceses  will  soon  be  added  to  the  sixteen  which  represent  our  province) 
which  are  as  the  ramparts  of  truth.  We  will  endeavor,  sirs,  to  respond 
to  the  appeal  of  your  zeal  and  to  extend  the  name  and  the  influence 
of  this  precious  Society  before  God  and  before  men.45 

The  Fathers  of  the  Sixth  Provincial  Council  of  Baltimore 
wrote  the  following  letter  to  the  Directors  of  the  Society  for 
the  Propagation  of  the  Faith : 

The  Fathers  of  the  Sixth  Provincial  Council  of  Baltimore  could 
not  close  their  grave  and  laborious  session  without  expressing  their 
lively  admiration  of  the  marvelous  success  which  your  Society  every- 
where attains  and  without  offering  you  the  homage  of  their  gratitude 
and  that  of  all  the  faithful  committed  to  their  care.  They  have  not 
forgotten  that  the  needs  of  their  infant  Church  gave  birth  to  this 
grand  Society,  that  it  is  to  your  industry  and  charity  that  they  are 
indebted  for  the  astonishing  progress  of  the  Faith  in  the  United 
States,  and  that  if  their  venerable  metropolitan  presides  over  the 
deliberations  and  directs  the  "conseils"  of  twenty-two  of  his  brothers, 
it  is  through  you  that  he  contemplates  this  admirable  meeting  which 
recalls  the  beautiful  days  of  the  Church.  Is  it  not  touching,  Gentlemen, 
to  see  assembled  around  the  same  altar,  twenty-three  prelates  and  more 
than  fifty  priests,  all  having  but  one  heart  and  one  soul,  animated  by 
the  same  spirit  of  strength  and  of  truth,  partaking  of  each  other's 


45.  Annales,  t,  XV,  pp.  361-362. 


78          The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

troubles  and  hopes,  encouraging  each  other  to  combat  under  the  old 
standard  which  the  successor  of  Peter,  after  eighteen  centuries,  still 
shows  to  all  the  nations  with  ever- fresh  vigor? 

Our  progress  is  sure,  peaceful  and  full  of  promise,  but  we  do  not 
wish  to  hide  from  you,  Gentlemen,  that  our  needs  multiply  in  proportion 
as  we  advance,  that  there  is  not  a  single  diocese  that  is  freed  from 
the  bonds  of  its  infancy,  and  that  if  we  rejoice  in  the  good  of  which 
you  have  been  the  life-giving  source,  there  remains  still  more  to  be 
done.  In  1810,  the  Church  of  the  United  States,  as  temples,  had 
nothing  but  cabins.  The  oldest  dioceses  therefore  are  still  young,  and 
are  very  far  from  having  acquired  enough  strength  to  walk  without 
aid.  Seminaries,  colleges,  cathedrals,  churches,  religious  houses,  presby- 
teries, asylums  for  the  orphans  of  both  sexes,  hospitals,  free  schools, 
ornaments  of  culte,  everything,  in  a  word,  was  to  create.  It  is  not  yet 
a  quarter  of  a  century  since  God  raised  you  up  to  become  the  nursing 
fathers  of  all  Catholic  Missions.  The  Kings  at  one  time,  glorified  in 
this  title  and  in  this  privilege.  It  has  passed  from  their  hands  to 
those  of  the  poor,  and  you  are  their  faithful  administrators.  Cast  your 
glances  towards  our  part  of  the  New  World;  count  the  crosses  which 
everywhere  show  as  the  symbol  of  salvation.  The  work  is  solid,  per- 
manent, sheltered  from  the  vicissitudes  of  all  the  enterprises  which 
charity  has  formed  in  the  Orient.  It  is  not,  it  is  true,  sprinkled  with 
the  blood  of  martyrs,  but  it  does  not  cease  to  be  by  the  sweat  of  its 
indefatigable  priests.  We  think,  and  our  thought  is  not  too  much  at 
hazard,  that  Providence  is  reserving  for  us  a  special  mission,  and  that 
the  designs  of  God  are  great  and  magnificent  for  our  future  existence, 
and  since  we  are  still  only  at  the  point  of  departure,  that  the  emigration 
from  Europe  is  always  unceasing  and  more  numerous,  that  our  sheep  are 
in  general  of  those  poor  to  whom  the  Gospel  must  be  incessantly 
announced,  that  the  Christian  education  of  the  children  belongs  to  our 
position,  that  as  resources,  we  only  have  what  is  sent  us,  we  think, 
I  say,  that  as  pastors,  we  owe  to  our  weak  flocks,  to  expose  to  you  their 
distress.  Never  was  an  epoch  more  important  or  more  critical;  it  is  that 
of  our  development,  it  is  that  in  which  all  upright  and  generous  spirits 
turn  towards  us,  it  is  that  of  action  and  of  combat.  In  continuing  to 
sustain  us  you  will  sooner  enjoy  the  triumph  of  the  Catholic  Faith,  you 
will  encourage  us  to  persevere  until  the  end,  you  will  sow  in  a  field 
which  already  bears  fruit  in  abundance,  and  perhaps  you  will  one  day 
receive  what  you  have  loaned  us.  Witnesses  of  divine  truth,  we  are 
also  the  natural  witnesses,  the  interpreters  in  regard  to  the  needs  which 
burden  us. 

To  respond  to  your  appeal,  Gentlemen,  we  recommend  in  the 
pastoral  letter  of  the  Council,  to  the  pastors  and  to  the  faithful,  the 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith          79 

establishment  of  your  Society  in  all  our  dioceses.  We  hasten  to  concur 
in  your  good  work,  to  give  evidence  of  how  much  we  appreciate  the 
benefits.  .  .  .** 

On  May  14,  1849,  the  Fathers  of  the  Seventh  Council  of 
Baltimore  wrote  to  the  Presidents  and  Directors  of  the 
Councils  of  the  North  and  of  the  South  of  the  Society  for 
the  Propagation  of  the  Faith: 

The  future  of  the  Church  which  everywhere  seems  to  be  covered 
with  a  mysterious  cloud  which  presages  the  moment  of  combat,  of  trials 
and  of  triumph;  this  future  opens  before  us  with  the  hopes,  the 
consolations  and  the  vigor  of  a  church  still  young,  which  grows  like  a 
new  vineyard  and  which  will  soon  count  among  its  laborers 
six  Archbishops  and  thirty  Bishops.  Besides  the  secular  clergy, 
we  have  as  collaborators  nine  religious  bodies  or  pious  societies,  a 
precious  portion  of  the  militant  church  which  edifies  the  pastors  not  less 
than  the  faithful  and  of  which  the  branches  multiply  from  day  to  day. 
Our  communities  of  Sisters  present  a  spectacle  not  less  consoling.  The 
hospitals,  the  asylums  for  the  orphans,  the  schools  for  the  poor,  the 
boarding  schools  for  the  well-to-do  class,  establishments  without  number, 
prosper  under  the  direction  of  the  virgins  consecrated  to  God.  One 
thought  always  afflicts  us,  that  of  not  being  able  to  spread  to  all  the 
children  of  the  faith  the  benefits  of  a  religious  education.  You  will 
easily  understand,  sirs,  the  immensity  of  our  needs  and  the  greatness 
of  our  responsibility  when  you  (will)  learn  that  the  European  and 
Catholic  emigration  now  surpasses  the  figure  of  250,000  souls  per  year. 
The  emigrants  are,  with  few  exceptions,  poor  and  destitute  of  resources; 
they  are  driven  to  America  by  famines  and  by  revolutions;  they  come 
to  seek  here  an  existence  which  the  old  world  only  offers  precariously. 
For  these  poor,  churches  and  pastors  are  needed;  for  their  children, 
instruction,  spiritual  bread  and  often  nourishment  for  the  body  (are 
needed)  you  will  well  understand,  sirs,  for  the  annual  increase  of 
Catholics  alone  we  ought  to  annually  procure  300  priests,  build  300 
churches,  300  schools.  Now  that  is  what  our  position  is:  the  old 
dioceses  which  for  the  most  part  are  found  to  be  the  most  favored  and 
solidly  established  respond  but  weakly  to  the  cries  and  the  needs  of 
the  multitude:  those  (dioceses)  which  are  in  their  infancy  and  have 
only  small,  scattered  and  poor  populations  have  not  yet  an  assured 
existence  and  languish  through  lack  of  assistance.  The  charity  of 
Jesus  Christ  urges  us,  sirs,  to  recommend  to  your  protection  and  to 
your  generous  solicitude  this  church  of  which  we  are  the  pastors.  .  .  . 
And  to  express  to  you  this  gratitude  of  heart  for  which  there  is  no 
more  just  or  more  eloquent  expression  than  that  of  the  Apostle:  We 


46.  Annales,  t.  XVIII,  pp.  393-396. 


80          The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

have  a  great  joy,  my  brethren,  and  a  great  consolation  into  your  charity, 
for  the  hearts  of  the  saints  have  been  refreshed  and  comforted  by  you.*T 

A  pastoral  letter  of  the  Archbishops  and  Bishops  of  the 
United  States  in  First  National  Council  assembled  at  Balti- 
more (1852),  to  the  Clergy  and  Laity  of  their  charge  follows: 

Our  Holy  Father  Pius  IX  has  recommended  to  our  notice,  as  well 
as  that  of  all  the  Bishops  of  the  Church,  the  Society  established  at 
Lyons  in  France,  for  the  purpose  of  aiding  apostolic  missionaries  in  the 
Propagation  of  the  Faith.  Independently  of  the  authority  which  has 
thus  spoken,  our  own  feelings  would  prompt  us  to  address  you  on  the 
subject.  From  the  time  of  its  first  establishment,  almost  thirty  years 
ago,  up  to  the  present  time,  this  association  has  contributed,  generously 
and  uninterruptedly,  to  the  support  of  our  missions.  If  our  churches 
have  so  rapidly  multiplied;  if  our  religious  and  educational  establish- 
ments are  now  comparatively  numerous;  if  new  missions  and  new 
dioceses  amidst  most  appalling  discouragements,  still  continue  to  be 
founded — we  must,  in  truth,  and  justice,  acknowledge,  that  in  all  this 
the  Association  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  has  afforded  us  the 
most  generous  and  most  enlightened  cooperation.  We  feel  the  obligations 
which  we  have  to  an  Association  which  is  identified  with  the  progress 
of  religion  in  every  part  of  the  world:  and  we,  therefore,  exhort  you 
Brethren,  to  encourage  its  establishment  in  your  respective  districts, 
agreeably  to  the  wishes  of  the  Sovereign  Pontiff,  who  desires  to  see  the 
whole  Catholic  world  united  in  an  effort  to  diffuse  the  Gospel  of  Christ 
throughout  all  nations.  The  small  annual  contribution  made  to  this 
Association  will  not  interfere  with  any  effort  of  Christian  zeal  or 
charity;  and  we  cherish  the  conviction,  that  its  establishment  will  draw 
down  from  God  the  choicest  blessings  on  all  who  unite  in  this  truly 
good  work.48 

The  Fathers  of  the  First  Plenary  Council  of  Baltimore 
on  May  20,  1852,  sent  the  following  letter  to  the  Society : 

The  Fathers  of  the  First  National  Council  of  the  United  States, 
six  Archibshops  and  twenty-six  Bishops,  united  by  the  authorization 
and  the  desires  of  the  Venerable  Successsor  of  St.  Peter,  have  received 
the  prayer  which  you  have  offered,  with  joy  and  gratitude.  They  have 
decreed  by  a  vote  of  acclamation  that  the  Society  for  the  Propagation 
of  the  Faith  shall  be  established  in  all  their  dioceses,  even  envious  of 
marching  in  your  footsteps,  they  have  appreciated  the  simple  but  fecund 


47.  Annales,  t.  XXI,  pp.  289-291. 

48.  Metropolitan  Catholic  Almanac  and  Laity's  Directory  for  the 
Tear  of  Our  Lord  1853,  p.  51. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith          81 

manner  which  distinguished  the  administration  of  your  Society  from 
all  the  others.  How  could  they  not  have  responded  to  tne  appeal  of 
your  zeal  in  seeing  the  great  things  which  Providence  has  created  about 
them  and  of  which  you  have  been  the  principal  instruments  by  the 
charity  of  the  poor?  The  Fathers  of  the  Council  recall  the  epoch  when 
six  bishops  governed  the  Church  of  the  United  States  and  today  there 
are  as  many  metropolitan  churches.  The  hierarchy  is  composed  today 
of  thirty-three  prelates,  and  soon  twelve  new  cooperators  shall  be  added 
to  this  number.  What  a  glorious  future  is  reserved  for  us,  I  dare,  or 
we  dare  say,  they  already  belong  to  us.  Our  work  of  creation  progresses 
in  proportion  to  the  past,  striving  in  speed  with  the  movement  of  the 
country  and  extending  itself  as  far  as  the  Pacific  Ocean,  we  are  per- 
mitted to  hope  and  to  believe  that  before  twenty-five  years  at  most  the 
American  portion  of  the  Catholic  Church  will  have  as  many  Episcopal 
Sees  as  the  most  ancient  realms  of  Europe.  Is  it  not  a  miracle  of 
Providence  that  the  rapid  increase  of  the  true  church  in  this  part  of 
the  New  World,  where  the  prejudices  of  error  have  sunk  such  deep 
roots,  where  riches  and  influence  formed  a  wall  of  opposition,  where 
the  greatest  poverty  was  the  least  of  our  difficulties?  But  God  knew 
that  a  large  part  of  Europe  was  to  set  forth  towards  North  America 
and  that  is  why  (voila  qu'il)  He  renews  the  prodigies  of  the  Apostolate 
and  of  the  missions.  He  inspired  the  idea  of  your  Society  and  He 
surrounded  it  with  the  fullness  of  his  benediction,  and  presents  what 
is  unique  in  the  annals  of  the  Church  that  is  that  a  small  number  of 
laymen,  receiving  their  first  mission  of  charity,  become,  under  the 
protection  of  the  Holy  See,  the  husband  of  a  nursing  mother  of  all  the 
missions  of  Catholicism.  How  can  one  refrain  from  crying  out:  "How 
beautiful  are  your  tabernacles,  oh  God  of  Israel"  when  we  contem- 
plate in  one  and  the  same  sanctuary  the  Bishops  who,  although  separated 
by  a  distance  of  more  than  two  thousand  leagues,  have  at  the  voice 
of  the  Holy  Father,  braved  the  distances,  the  fatigues,  the  sea  and 
the  privations  in  order  to  consult  upon  the  need  of  their  infant  churches. 
We  pray  you,  sirs,  not  to  forget  in  the  object  of  your  prudent  charity 
the  multiplied  needs  which  are  necessarily  born  in  America  from  this 
extraordinary  development  and  to  be  mindful  that  we  have  to  provide 
for  the  spiritual,  and  often  the  bodily  existence  of  200,000  Catholics 
at  least  who  annually  arrive  from  Europe.  There  is  not  here  a  single 
diocese  the  organization  of  which  is  complete  and  which  is  capable  of 
responding  to  the  demands  of  the  faithful.  New  Sees  cannot  exist  but 
by"  your  charity  and  among  those  we  recommend  to  you  in  a  particular 
manner  that  of  Oregon.  .  .  .49 


49.  Annales,  t.  XXIV,  pp.  401-403. 


82          The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

A  letter  of  Archbishop  Hughes,  of  New  York,  written  in 
the  name  of  the  First  Provincial  Council  of  New  York  to 
the  Members  of  the  Councils  of  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith, 
New  York,  October  9,  1854,  contains  the  following  eulogy : 

Our  first  duty  after  we  have  addressed  the  Common  Father 
of  the  Faithful  is  to  express  with  unanimous  voice  our  gratitude  to  the 
Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith.  In  the  vast  territory  which 
now  forms  the  ecclesiastical  province  of  New  York  there  were  thirty 
years  ago  only  two  Bishops,  eleven  priests  and  about  40,000  Catholics. 
Today  we  have  an  Archbishop  with  eight  suffragans,  very  nearly  500 
priests  and  about  1,000,000  Catholics.  At  the  sight  of  the  rapid  progress 
of  our  holy  religion  it  is  impossible  for  us  not  to  bring  our  thoughts 
back  towards  the  admirable  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 
to  which  we  are  in  large  part  indebted  for  such  a  great  'benefit :  it  is 
equally  impossible  for  us  to  disperse  without  testifying  our  gratitude 
toward  you,  sirs,  who  are  its  representatives  and  who  distribute  its 
funds  with  so  much  wisdom.  These  thousands  of  poor  immigrants  who 
annually  settle  in  our  respective  dioceses  and  find  here,  thanks  to  your 
charity,  priests  and  altars;  these  poor  lost  sheep  which  every  year  we 
have  the  consolation  of  bringing  back  into  the  fold  of  the  unique  Pastor; 
these  numerous  orphans  tenderly  brought  up  by  our  good  sisters;  the 
number  still  greater  of  young  children  preserved  in  our  Catholic  schools 
from  the  poison  of  heresy;  this  body  of  zealous  missionaries  which 
you  sustain  by  your  prayers  and  your  alms;  all  our  faithful  in  a  word 
unite  their  voice  to  ours  to  testify  to  you  their  lively  and  very  sincere 
gratitude.  For  a  long  time,  sirs,  we  have  desired  to  establish  among 
us  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith;  but  the  circumstances 
under  which  we  found  ourselves  did  not  permit  us  to  do  it  in  all  the 
dioceses.  The  Fathers  of  the  Council  of  New  York  have  resolved  to 
take  immediate  measures  to  propagate  it  in  their  dioceses  and  they  are 
eager  to  communicate  to  you  this  resolution  unanimously  adopted  in 
their  assembly.  It  is  unfortunately  too  certain  that  there  now  exists 
in  this  country  some  secret  and  powerful  coalitions,  whose  end  is  none 
other  than  to  abolish  Catholicism  in  the  United  States.  Witness  the 
insults,  the  daily  calumnies  to  which  we  are  exposed;  witness  the 
churches  which  have  been  burnt  or  demolished.  May  it  not  please  God 
that  we  be  discouraged!  Mary  Immaculate  is  our  powerful  and 
glorious  protector  and  the  extension  of  Catholicism  among  us  which  is 
already  so  great  a  gauge  of  the  merciful  views  of  God  towards  our 
Church.  Yes  we  are  convinced  that  God  desires  to  communicate  the 
lights  of  the  Faith  to  this  people  whom  He  has  conquered  by  the  blood 
of  His  Son;  we  say  more:  God  desires  to  make  use  of  our  nation  to 
bring  back  to  the  truth  these  distant  peoples  to  whom  it  has  access 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith          83 

by  the  extension  of  its  commerce.  Permit  us  therefore,  sirs,  to  urgently 
solicit  a  continuation  of  the  assistance  which  you  have  accorded  us,  the 
good  which  these  allocations  will  aid  us  to  accomplish  is  the  good 
which  will  have  permanent  effect.  We  are  living  in  the  midst  of  an 
intelligent,  civilized  people  in  a  vast  and  fertile  territory;  it  is  there- 
fore permissible  for  us  to '  hope,  following  the  ordinary  course  of 
Providence,  that  our  pious  institutions  shall  be  a  source  of  sanctification 
for  the  present  generation  and  for  those  to  come  in  the  midst  of  a 
people  which  appears  destined  to  play  a  grand  role  in  the  history  of 
nations.  It  is  impossible  for  us  in  a  letter  to  expose  to  you  the  extent 
of  our  needs.  If  we  rejoice  to  have  been  able  to  establish  some  schools 
and  orphan  asylums,  our  heart  is  wrung  with  sorrow  in  thinking  that 
the  larger  part  of  our  children  remain  exposed  to  the  dangers  of  error, 
to  the  contagion  of  bad  example,  without  a  sufficient  number  of  teachers 
to  instruct  them,  of  priest  to  sanctify  them  by  the  sacraments.  Often 
we  rejoice  to  learn  that  a  new  church  is  to  be  consecrated  to  Catholic 
worship,  but  more  often  still  we  grieve  to  see  entire  parishes  without 
pastors  to  guide  them,  without  resources  to  construct  a  modest  chapel. 
However,  our  Catholic  population  becomes  every  year  more  numerous 
by  immigration  so  that  the  Bishops  of  even  the  most  flourishing  cities 
often  have  reason  to  bewail  not  being  able  to  finance  the  construction 
of  churches  in  proportion  to  their  ever  increasing  number.  Moreover, 
there  are  in  the  province  of  New  York  some  recently  erected  dioceses 
for  which  must  be  procured  a  more  numerous  clergy,  churches,  semi- 
naries, where  all,  in  one  work,  is  to  be  created.  It  is  therefore  with 
a  just  title  and  I  dare  say,  with  confidence,  that  we  pray  you  to  continue 
your  allocations.  It  remains  with  us  to  bless  you  with  all  our  heart  and 
to  assure  you  of  our  gratitude  and  our  respect.50 

The  Fathers  of  the  Eighth  Council  of  Baltimore,  to  the 
Councils  of  the  Propagations  of  the  Faith,  Baltimore,  May 
14,  1855,  wrote  as  follows: 

.  .  .  There  remained  only  six  Suffragan  Bishops  of  the  province 
of  Baltimore,  but  the  dioceses  of  Charleston  and  Savannah  are  repre- 
sented in  this  Council  by  their  worthy  administrators.  Several  among 
us  have  made  known  to  you  in  particular  the  needs  and  the  progress  of 
their  respective  dioceses,  and  have  made  it  a  pleasure  and  a  duty  to 
recognize  the  generous  liberality  of  the  Association  of  which  you,  sirs, 
are  the  administrators.  Now  that  we  are  assembled,  we  are  eager  to  do 
in  common  what  we  have  already  done  separately:  we  thank  you  with 
all  our  hearts  for  the  zeal  which  you  have  shown  for  the  missions  of 
America;  we  pray  and  we  have  the  faithful  of  our  dioceses  pray  for 

50.  Annales,  t.  XXVII,  pp.  81-84. 


84          The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

you.  Through  your  agency  we  express  the  sentiments  of  our  hearts 
towards  these  generous  souls  who,  in  all  the  countries,  are  associated 
with  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith.  We  declare  anew  our 
sincere  desire  to  here  cooperate  as  soon  and  as  much  as  circumstances 
permit  us.  But  sirs,  permit  me  also  to  recall  to  you  the  pressing  and 
ceaselessly  recurring  needs  of  the  dioceses  which  are  confided  to  us 
and  to  represent  to  you  by  a  united  voice  that  in  several  dioceses  of  this 
province  these  needs  are  very  great.  Without  citing  any  one  in 
particular,  we  are  content  to  say  that  there  is  almost  no  one  of  them 
which  has  not  a  right  to  your  charitable  solicitude.  But  we  are  not 
ignorant  of  your  good  will  towards  ourselves  and  our  missions  and  we 
do  not  believe  it  our  duty  to  add  anything  to  this  general  testimony  by 
a  report  of  the  condition  of  our  province.  You  have  learned  by  the 
published  papers  and  the  private  letters  of  Bishops  the  progress  which 
Catholicism  makes,  the  increase  of  the  number  of  churches  and  of 
priests  and  the  multiplication  of  the  faithful  still  more  rapid  than 
that  of  the  temples  of  religion.  We  rejoice  in  it  and  you,  sirs,  have 
good  reason  to  participate  in  our  joy,  having  comforted  our  labors  and 
facilitated  our  success.  May  God  recompense  you  in  bestowing  upon 
you  while  on  earth  the  riches  from  on  high  and  after  this  life  the 
crown  promised  to  the  faithful  and  zealous  servant.51 

On  May  20,  1855,  the  First  Provincial  Council  of  Cincin- 
nati wrote  the  following  letter  to  the  Councils  of  the 
Society : 

We  are  happy,  in  terminating  our  first  Provincial  Council  to  offer 
you  the  homage  of  our  lively  gratitude  for  the  generous  assistance 
which  we  have  received  from  such  an  eminently  Catholic  Society. 

We  must  loudly  proclaim  it,  our  young  Church  of  America  is 
languishing;  it  even  suffered  deplorable  losses  before  your  Association 
came  to  its  assistance.  Since  then,  a  great  amelioration  has  taken 
place:  the  lights  of  faith  have  been  carried  more  regularly  and  more 
efficaciously  to  our  poor  natives;  the  number  of  conversions  among  our 
erring  brethren  has  increased;  our  Catholics,  hastening  here  from  all 
parts  of  Europe,  and  scattered  here  and  there  in  the  midst  of  our  forests 
and  our  cities,  are  no  longer  as  heretofore,  exposed  unprotected  to  the 
artifices  of  error,  or  to  the  fatal  consequences  of  ignorance;  a  more 
numerous  clergy  visits  them;  consoles  and  protects  them  against  the 
snares  and  the  persecutions  of  these  later  times.  In  place  of  the  savage 
hut  or  of  the  rustic  fireside  in  which  we  distributed  the  bread  of  the 
word,  we  have  seen  chapels,  churches,  cathedrals  erected  in  which 
the  Catholic  is  encouraged,  fortified,  and  in  which  the  Protestant  of 


51.  Annales,  t.  XXVII,  p.  401. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith          85 

good  faith  is  stripped  of  his  prejudices  and  his  hatred  against  the 
Spouse  of  Jesus  Christ.  Our  seminaries,  the  source  of  ecclesiastical 
learning  and  virtue,  are  organized  and  begin  to  furnish  us  subjects, 
to  relieve  the  veterans  of  the  priesthood  who  have  so  nobly  fought  on 
the  field  of  the  Gospel.  We  will  not  attempt  to  tell  you  how  great 
has  been  the  number  of  orphans  whom  the  Church  has  lost,  and  whom 
it  now  counts  in  the  midst  of  its  most  violent  enemies;  moreover,  I 
will  not  speak  of  that  multitude  of  sick  who  have  appealed  in  vain  for 
the  consolations  of  the  faith  at  their  last  hour;  nor  of  those  thousands 
of  children  who  from  their  infancy  have  drunk  from  the  cup  of  error 
and  'of  indifference  in  our  public  schools.  Fifty  years  ago,  the  Church 
of  the  New  World  sighed  and  bemoaned  the  loss  of  its  unfortunate 
children ;  fifty  years  ago,  it  labored  to  close  its  mortal  wounds.  Oh, 
may  Heaven  be  blessed!  Here  as  everywhere,  the  old  Faith  has  the 
remedies  for  all  ailments,  the  consolations  for  all  sorrows;  it  has 
commenced  to  found  its  schools,  its  religious  communities,  its  hospitals, 
its  asylums.  To  the  youth  it  gives  an  instructor  to  teach  him  at  one 
time,  his  duties  as  a  citizen  and  the  route  to  Heaven ;  to  the  orphan 
and  the  sick,  it  gives  a  mother  or  a  sister  of  charity:  that  is  how,  little 
by  little,  our  Infant  Church  responds  to  its  noble  mission. 

But  who  gives  it  strength  and  life,  and  who  sustains  it  today  in 
the  midst  of  its  perils  and  the  furious  strife  in  which  it  is  engaged? 
We  must  publish  it,  Providence  has  raised  up  your  Society,  Gentlemen, 
as  one  of  the  most  efficacious  means  to  prepare  and  complete  its  triumph 
in  this  hemisphere.  But  it  is  not  enough  for  us  to  recognize  it,  it  is 
our  duty  to  imitate  you.  That  is  why,  at  the  solicitaton  of  tho 
Sovereign  Pontiff  and  to  cede  to  the  voice  of  conscience  we  are  eager 
to  establish  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith;  only  we 
regret  that  by  reason  of  the  financial  crisis  and  of  the  high  cost  of 
living  which  so  cruelly  make  themselves  felt  here  this  year,  the  result 
of  our  effort  will  not  respond  to  our  expectation.  We  hope,  however 
that  better  times  will  soon  aid  us  to  put  a  more  abundant  alms  in  the 
common  treasury  of  your  Society,  and  to  offer  to  your  wise  adminis- 
tration, by  it  a  feeble  compensation  for  your  long  and  generous 
benefits.52 

The  letter  sent  by  the  Fathers  of  the  First  Provincial 
Council  of  New  Orleans  to  the  Members  of  the  Central 
Councils  of  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith,  dated  New  Orleans, 
January  27,  1856,  was : 


52.  Annales,  t.  XXVII,  pp.  334-337. 


86  The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

The  Fathers  of  the  First  Provincial  Council  of  New  Orleans  in 
devoting  themselves  to  the  interests  of  their  respective  dioceses  and 
blessing  God  for  the  graces  which  He  has  accorded  to  all  their  flocks, 
naturally  think  of  the  benefits  which  your  noble  and  holy  Society  has 
spread  over  the  young  church  of  America  and  of  which  the  fruits  are 
today  so  visible  and  so  remarkable.  The  last  act  of  their  sessions,  a 
spontaneous  act  from  their  Catholic  hearts,  and  one  which  resumes  all 
the  deliberations,  has  been  to  thank  Providence  for  having  inspired  at 
the  determined  time  in  the  faithful  of  Europe  of  which  your  Councils 
are  the  soul,  to  console,  fortify  and  vivify  by  their  charity  the  faithful 
of  the  United  States.  Admirable  successes  have  crowned  your  first 
efforts  and  lead  us  to  hope  that  you  will  enjoy  the  benedictions  of  a 
small  flock  which  you  have  seen  born,  grow  and  multiply.  Five  bishops 
are  grouped  around  their  elder  brother,  the  Bishop  of  New  Orleans,  and 
labor  to  lay  the  foundation  of  the  Holy  Catholic  Church  upon  the  rock. 
These  dioceses  are  still  young  and  only  received  a  little  assistance  from 
European  immigration,  they  still  have  need  of  the  superabundant  charity 
of  your  Society.  You  will  no  doubt  learn  with  pleasure  that  we  have 
established  branches  of  the  same  Association  in  all  our  province,  and 
that  pastors  and  flock  rejoice  to  be  members  of  this  body  which  so 
well  represents  the  strength  and  the  extent  of  the  charity  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ.  Our  alms  shall  be  that  of  the  widow  of  the  temple.  May 
the  eye  of  Him  which  nothing  escapes  see  it  and  His  hand  .bless  it.58 

On  May  8,  1858,  the  Fathers  of  the  Provincial  Council  of 
Cincinnati  wrote  to  the  Associates  of  the  Propagation  of 
the  Faith : 

Gentlemen,  Sensible  to  the  pecuniary  assistance  accorded  by  the 
Association  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  to  the  different  dioceses 
of  the  province  of  Cincinnati;  and  in  view  of  the  precious  advantages 
which  have  resulted  from  this  assistance,  for  the  advancement  of 
religion  and  the  sanctification  of  a  multitude  of  souls,  who  would  be 
exposed  to  perish  without  such  aid,  the  bishops  of  this  province, 
assembled  in  council,  cannot  separate  without  testifying  and  expressing 
through  you  to  all  the  Members  of  the  Councils  of  your  excellent  Society, 
the  sentiments  of  our  gratitude. 

When,  looking  around  us,  we  consider  the  good  already  accomplished 
and  for  which  we  are  in  large  part,  indebted  to  the  ardent  zeal  of  the 
faithful  who  make  up  the  important  and  pious  Association  for  the 
Propagation  of  the  Faith,  our  hearts  naturally  rise  towards  God,  to 
ask  Him  to  bless  and  propagate  more  every  day,  a  Society  so  con- 

53.  Annalcs,  t.  XXVIII,  pp.  257-258, 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith          87 

formable  to  the  designs  of  His  mercy,  and  we  pray  especially  that  His 
benedictions  be  extended  to  all  those  who  direct  it,  who  sustain  it  by 
their  offerings  or  their  alms. 

This  sentiment  is  rendered  more  lively  by  the  consideration  of  the 
needs  which  are  multiplied  with  the  increase  of  the  Catholic  population, 
which  is  spreading  into  all  parts  of  our  dioceses,  and  also  by  the 
difficulties  which  the  opulence  of  the  sects  which  surround  us  and 
unjust  legislation  give  rise  to. 

The  education  of  our  children,  which  they  seek  to  snatch  away 
from  us  in  the  schools  sustained  by  the  public  funds,  which  expand 
from  the  enormous  taxes  we  are  forced  to  pay,  without  procuring  any 
advantage  from  it,  does  more  to  expand  our  resources;  and  it  is  only 
by  sacrifices,  too  often  in  excess  of  our  strength,  that  we  can  sustain 
the  faith  and  protect  the  morals  of  our  children.  This  difficult  situation 
will  not,  however,  prevent  us  from  spreading,  in  as  much  as  this  is  in 
our  power,  in  our  respective  dioceses,  an  Association  of  which  we 
ought  by  a  very  just  title,  to  appreciate  the  benefits,  since  each  of  us 
owes  to  it,  more  or  less,  the  prosperity  of  that  part  of  the  vineyard  of 
the  Lord  confided  to  his  care.54 

The  Fathers  of  the  Provincial  Council  of  St.  Louis  wrote 
the  following  letter  to  the  Directors  of  the  Society  for  the 
Propagation  of  the  Faith,  dated  St.  Louis,  September  12, 
1858: 

Assembled  in  Council  in  the  Metropolis  of  St.  Louis  the  different 
dioceses  which  compose  this  province  were  unwilling  to  disperse  without 
testifying  their  gratitude  to  the  admirable  Society  for  the  Propagation 
of  the  Faith.  We  experience  a  great  consolation  in  having  this  occasion 
to  render  to  you  such  a  well  merited  tribute.  The  assistance  which 
we  have  received  and  still  receive  from  your  charity  has  aided  us  in 
the  most  efficacious  manner  to  build  our  churches,  to  found  our 
establishments  and  to  maintain  them.  It  would  be  useless  to  enumerate 
that  which  each  of  our  dioceses  owes  to  the  Society;  still  more  so  to 
repeat  how  many  Bishops  and  missionaries  in  all  parts  of  the  world 
are  indebted  to  it,  the  large  number  of  churches,  schools  and  houses 
of  charity  erected  through  its  assistance. 

''We  see  witn  joy  that  Providence  is  pleased  to  bless  this  Associa- 
tion, so  eminently  religious,  and  that  it  has  made  it  prosper  throughout 
so  many  difficulties;  we  keenly  share  the  solicitude  of  the  Holy  Father 
in  favor  of  the  Society  and  what  we  regret  is  that  our  poverty  does  not 
permit  us  to  increase  still  more  the  number  of  your  subscribers.  Most 
of  our  dioceses  are  newly  erected  in  the  least  inhabited  part  of  this 


54.  Annales,  t.  XXX,  pp.  399-401. 


88          The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

vast  continent:  we  have  therefore  to  face  the  greatest  embarassments 
and  obstacles;  but  the  visible  benedictions  which -God  deigns  to  shower 
upon  our  feeble  labors  and  the  rapid  progress  of  our  holy  religion 
sweeten  the  burden  of  our  formidable  responsibility.55 

The  Archbishop  and  Bishops  of  the  Province  of  New 
Orleans  wrote  the  following  letter  to  the  President  and 
Members  of  the  Central  Councils  which  was  received  on 
February  24,  1860 : 

The  labors  of  the  Second  Provincial  Council  of  New  Orleans  are 
at  an  end. 

Before  separating,  the  Fathers  of  the  Council  desired  to  offer  the 
collective  expression  of  their  respect  and  of  their  profound  gratitude 
to  you,  Gentlemen,  to  whom  the  dispositions  of  Providence  have  confided 
the  high  direction  of  one  of  the  most  astonishing  Catholic  societies 
which  since  the  Apostolic  times,  Our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ  has 
raised  up  for  the  extension  of  his  reign  upon  earth. 

Accustomed,  as  they  are,  to  hear  the  cries  of  distress  which  cease- 
lessly come  to  them  from  all  parts  of  the  world,  your  eminently 
Christian  souls  have  always  generously  had  compassion  on  the  numerous 
necessities  of  the  peoples  confided  to  our  solicitude  by  the  Prince  of 
pastors;  your  charity  has  always  heard  and  welcomed  our  humble 
requests. 

It  is  with  happiness  that  we  express  our  gratitude  for  it,  Gentlemen ; 
it  is  with  consolation  also  that  we  recall  that  the  first  inspiration,  and 
as  the  germ  of  the  grand  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith, 
came  forth,  over  forty  years  ago,  from  the  noble  heart  of  one  of  the 
first  bishops  of  New  Orleans.  Since  the  day  on  which  Monsignor  Du 
Bourg  deposed  it  in  some  pure  and  humble  souls  of  our  France,  the  little 
seed  has  once  again  realized  the  prodigious  growth  promised  by  Jesus 
Christ  to  His  Church,  to  the  Kingdom  of  God  on  earth.  The  tender 
plant  has  become  an  immense  tree,  in  which,  from  one  end  of  the  earth 
to  the  other,  the  powerful  branches  protect  with  their  shade,  and 
nourish  with  their  fruit  the  numerous  and  devoted  laborers  of  the 
Father  of  the  family. 

The  reports  which  you  have  successively  received  from  the  different 
dioceses  of  our  province  have  sufficiently  well  informed  you,  Gentlemen, 
of  the  ever  increasing  prosperity  of  the  Holy  Church  of  Jesus  Christ 
in  this  old  land  of  Louisiana  and  the  Floridas,  for  the  miseries  of 
which  the  voice  of  Monsignor  Du  Bourg  had  accents  of  such  just  and 
profound  sorrow. 


55.  Annales,  t.  XXXI,  pp.  5-6;  Annales,  t.  XXXII,  pp.  201-203. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith          89 

In  the  solemn  circumstances  which  assemble  us,  what  we  maintain 
and  proclaim  is  that  after  God,  it  is  to  the  grand  Society  for  the 
Propagation  of  the  Faith  that  are  for  the  most  part,  due  the  very  fruitful 
benedictions  which  have  not  ceased  to  descend  upon  our  people. 

God  is  faithful,  Gentlemen,  and  so  many  benedictions  showered 
from  your  hands  upon  the  indigence  of  our  missions  will  return  a 
hundredfold  to  the  members  of  the  Society  and  to  you,  especially, 
Gentlemen,  who  bear  with  such  generous  devotion  the  incessant  fatigues 
of  an  administration  which  has  no  other  end  than  the  end  of  our 
ministry  itself.  That  in  all  things  and  iri  all  places,  Jesus  Christ  be 
glorified  and  that  His  truth  and  His  charity  reign  over  all  the  earth.™ 

The  Fathers  of  the  Provincial  Council  of  Cincinnati,  on 
May  6,  1861,  wrote  the  following  letter  to  the  Directors  of 
the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith : 

Mr.  President,  The  prelates  of  the  Province  of  Cincinnati,  assembled 
in  Council,  have  been  unwilling  to  separate  without  giving  testimony 
to  the  Members  of  the  Council  of  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  of 
their  lively  gratitude.  The  benevolence  manifested  towards  all  during 
long  years  and  which  several  (dioceses)  are  still  today  the  object, 
could  not  be  forgotten  and  they  are  pleased  to  renew  to  you  their 
thanks.  The  institutions  and  the  religious  edifices  for  which  we  are 
in  large  part  indebted  to  the  Association  which  your  Councils  rule 
over  with  so  much  zeal  and  wisdom,  are  so  many  monuments  of  generosity 
which  will  always  recall  to  the  faithful  of  the  United  States  that  which 
they  owe  to  their  brothers  of  Europe  and  which  will  assure  to  our 
benefactors  a  very  dear  remembrance  in  our  prayers. 

Mr.  President,  May  God  grant  the  sincere  good  wishes  which 
we  nourish  for  the  success  of  a  Society  so  useful  to  religion;  may 
He  bless  all  the  Members  of  this  pious  and  holy  Association;  may 
He  bless  especially  those  who  so  generously  devote  themselves  to 
maintain  and  extend  it." 

The  following  letter  of  the  Bishops  united  in  the  Second 
Plenary  Council  at  Baltimore  to  the  Central  Councils  of 
the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  was  dated 
Baltimore,  1866 : 

The  Bishops  assembled  in  Plenary  Council  have  a  lively  sense  of  the 
debt  of  gratitude  imposed  on  them  by  the  liberalities  of  Catholic 
charity  concentrated  in  your  hands.  .  .  .  We  openly  acknowledge 
that  your  offerings  have  had  a  considerable  share  in  the  development 
of  our  church.  .  .  .  Henceforth,  the  Church  of  the  United  States 

56.  Annalcs,  t.   XXXII,   pp.  201-203. 

57.  Annales,  t.  XXXIII,  pp.  337-338. 


90  The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

will  endeavor  to  occupy  in  your  reports  a  place  more  worthy  of  the 
rank  assigned  to  it  by  the  extent  of  its  territory,  the  abundance  of  its 
resources  and  the  wonderful  increase  given  it  by  the  Almighty.118 

The  Central  Councils  of  the  Society  for  the  Propagation 
of  the  Faith  received  the  following  letter  from  the  Bishops 
united  at  Baltimore  in  Provincial  Council,  dated  Baltimore, 
May  2,  1869: 

The  Bishops  assembled  for  the  celebration  of  the  Tenth  Provincial 
Council  of  Baltimore  believe  they  would  fail  in  a  very  sweet  duty 
which  is  imposed  upon  them  by  gratitude  joined  with  the  desire  of 
seeing  the  realm  of  God  extended  more  and  more  among  them  if  they 
did  not  profit  by  the  favorable  occasion  which  presents  itself  of 
testifying  to  the  Directors  of  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the 
Faith  and  in  them  to  all  the  so  numerous  and  so  zealous  members  of  the 
Association,  the  sentiments  which  fill  their  hearts.  The  ways  of  God 
are  truly  admirable:  Quis  cognovit  sensum  Domini?  aut  quis  Consiliarius 
ejus  fuit  (Bom.  XI.,  34).  At  an  epoch  when  the  furious  Revolution 
had  overturned  the  churches,  annihilated  the  ancient  liberties  of 
sanctuary,  despoiled  the  clergy,  usurped  the  riches  with  which  the 
faith  of  our  fathers  have  enriched  the  altars,  He  inspired  by  His  all- 
powerful  grace,  a  thought  of  zeal  and  generosity  in  some  poor,  but 
devout  souls.  And  from  their  poverty  has  risen  a  fund  almost  equal 
to  that  which  impiety  had  seized  but  on  which  it  could  no  longer  lay 
its  sacrilegious  hands.  The  mite  of  the  widow,  of  the  artisan,  of  the 
peasant,  of  the  laborer  and  of  the  servant  girl  has  been  changed  into 
a  colossal  sum  which  will  go  on  as  it  has  for  nearly  a  half  century 
increasing  more  and  more  and  thus  more  and  more  proving  the  large 
number  as  well  as  the  generous  charity  of  the  children  of  the  Catholic 
Church.  The  offering  of  the  poor  enables  the  missionary  to  penetrate 
into  China  and  into  Japan,  to  visit  the  burning  sands  of  Africa  and  the 
frozen  regions  of  the  two  poles.  This  offering  gives  us  the  means  of 
building  our  churches  in  the  inaccessible  forests  of  the  New  World  and 
if  Catholicism  has  dug  deep  its  roots  in  our  country,  if  it  has  received 
rapid  and  marvelous  development  we  owe  it  in  large  part  to  the  cooper- 
ation of  your  admirable  Society.  We  have  quite  recently  enlarged  the 
sphere  of  our  ecclesiastical  hierarchy  and  we  hope  that  your  ingenious 
zeal  will  see  new  posts  where  your  assistance  will  become  the  necessary 
instrument  of  a  thousand  good  works.59 


58.  Annales,  t.  XXXIX,  pp.  79-81. 

59.  Missions  Catholiques,  t.  II,  pp.  169-170;   Annales,  t.  XLI,  pp. 
251-253. 


•  The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith          91 

The  Fathers  of  the  Third  Provincial  Council  of  New 
Orleans  addressed  the  following  letter  to  the  Members  of  the 
Central  Councils  of  the  Society  of  the  Propagation  of  the 
Faith,  dated  New  Orleans,  January  21,  1873 : 

.  .  .  Yes,  in  truth,  it  is  from  God  that  this  work,  unique  in  the 
history  of  the  centuries  and  which  in  commanding  the  admiration  of 
the  faith  offers  itself  in  these  latter  times  to  the  Holy  Church  as  a 
consolation  in  the  midst  of  her  immense  sorrows.  ...  It  was  at 
this  epoch  .  .  .  that  under  the  hand  of  God  was  born  in  humility 
a  Society  destined  to  grow  to  the  height  of  a  power  which  we  have 
not  known  since  the  Apostolic  days,  the  Society  for  the  Propagation 
of  the  Faith,  the  simplicity  and  the  charity  of  which  have  hurled  a 
victorious  defiance  down  to  the  very  depths  of  Satan.  Who  will  not 
admire  with  us  the  so  prodigious  and  so  rapid  extension  given  by  this 
Society  of  Faith  to  the  realm  of  God  in  the  entire  world?  Who  would 
not  admire  this  net  work  of  Apostolic  ways  opened  by  it  during  a  half 
century  to  these  thousands  of  evangelical  workers  who  have  illumined 
with  the  great  lights  of  the  City  of  God  the  lands  which  were  covered 
by  darkness,  the  peoples  who  were  enveloped  in  the  sombre  night?  Who 
would  not  admire  this  ever  increasing  multitude  of  Episcopal  Sees 
which  seat  in  a  stable  manner  the  Kingdom  of  Jesus  Christ  there  where 
Satan  reigned,  indefinitely  pushing  back  the  boundaries  of  the  Divine 
Realm?  Who  would  not  admire  this  number  of  altars  which  has  become 
innumerable,  erected  by  the  great  Society  in  all  climates  and  concerning 
which  is  finally  verified  to  the  letter  the  sacred  oracle  which  promised 
that  from  the  rising  of  the  sun  to  the  going  down  thereof  there  shall 
be  offered  the  immaculate  oblation  of  the  Lamb  immolated  from  the 
foundation  of  the  world?  Who  would  not  admire  and  who  will  count 
the  colleges,  the  communities,  the  holy  asylums  of  all  kinds,  sown  by 
it  with  profusion  as  far  as  the  most  unknown  lands  and  whence  rise 
towards  Heaven  more  praises,  prayers  and  love  than  impiety  was  able 
to  hurl  of  hatred  and  of  malediction?  Who  would  not  admire,  finally, 
how  in  our  days,  otherwise  so  evil,  the  map  of  our  globe  has  become 
that  of  the  pacific  and  benevolent  conquest  of  the  holy  Church,  conquest 
of  blood  and  of  sweat  of  Apostolic  men,  nourished,  clad,  encouraged 
by  this  truly  Christian  Society  of  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith?  If, 
resting  our  gaze  upon  the  American  Union  to  which  we  belong  we 
consider  the  present  condition  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ,  with  its 
seven  ecclesiastical  provinces,  its  62  Bishops,  its  5,000  priests,  its  150 
convents  of  men,  its  400  communities  of  women,  its  4,000  churches,  its 
90  colleges,  its  hospitals,  its  asylums  for  children  and  for  the  old  and 
its  numberless  Christian  schools  and  then  we  consider  that  scarcely 
a  half  a  century  ago  this  vast  republic  had  only  a  few  Bishops  directing 


92  The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

some  hundred  priests  and  a  dozen  or  more  religious  establishments,  we 
adore  the  hand  of  God  who  has  done  all  these  things  and  a  just 
gratitude  carries  us  back  towards  the  Society  of  which  it  pleased 
God  to  make  the  principal  instrument  of  His  mercies.  The  millions  of 
francs  which  it  has  so  generously  showered  upon  us  have  not  done 
all,  no  doubt,  and  should  not  do  all.  And  without  this  Society,  however, 
where  would  we  be?  How  many  dioceses  whose  creation  would  have 
been  impossible!  How  many  vocations  to  the  Apostolate  would  have 
rested  useless!  How  many  establishments,  without  it,  either  would 
never  have  existed  or  would  have  perished  through  lack  of  resources! 
Therefore,  blessed  be  this  Society  which  will  remain  one  of  the  grand 
glories  of  our  century  as  it  is  one  of  the  highest  manifestations  of 
the  indestructible  life  of  the  church  and  of  the  power  of  God  for  its 
conservation.  Blessed  be  the  faithful  who  have  understood  that  the 
first  of  the  alms  is  that  which  saves  souls.  Blessed  be  the  generous 
men  who  for  fifty  years  have  succeeded  one  another  in  the  prudent 
direction  of  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  and  in  the 
wise  distribution  of  the  treasure  of  Catholic  charity.  For  us,  Sirs,  who 
owe-  you  so  much  and  who  dare  to  rely  upon  a  concurrence  of  your 
charity  as  much  for  our  dioceses  as  for  the  new  dioceses  which  we 
solicit  the  Holy  See  to  create  in  our  province,  we  exert  ourselves  to 
communicate  to  the  people  who  are  confided  to  us  the  sentiments  which 
animate  us  and  to  increase,  according  to  our  strength,  the  prosperity 
of  the  Society.60 

Finally,  the  Third  Council  of  Baltimore  held  in  1884, 
the  most  important  ecclesiastical  assembly  up  to  our  time  in 
the  United  States,  recommended  the  Society  in  still  stronger 
terms  to  the  charity  of  the  faithful,  obeying  in  this  the 
orders  given  to  the  bishops  by  His  Holiness  Leo  XIII. 
Following  the  example  of  their  predecessors,  the  Fathers  of 
the  Council  again  decreed  the  establishment  of  the  Society 
in  all  dioceses  in  which  it  did  not  already  exist.  His  Eminence 
Cardinal  Gibbons,  in  the  name  of  the  Council,  dated  Balti- 
more, December  6,  1884,  wrote  to  the  Directors  of  the  Society: 

With  admirable  wisdom  which  he  had  received  from  Jesus  Christ, 
the  Doctor  of  the  Gentiles,  traced  for  us  with  His  Apostolic  hand  the 
symbolic  image  of  the  Church.  He  represented  it  to  us  as  the  living 
body  of  which  we  are  the  members  and  of  which  the  Saviour  is  the 
head.  As  the  influence,  the  direction,  and  the  empire  of  the  head  is 
extended  over  the  entire  body  so  the  members  united  in  a  compact 


60.  Annales,  t.   XLV,   pp.  235-239. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith          93 

transmit  the  influences  which  they  receive  from  their  Chief.  That  is 
why  the  Divine  Saviour  considered  as  done  to  Himself  the  good  or  evil 
which  one  docs  to  His  Church;  that  is  also  why,  in  the  language  of  St. 
Paul,  if  one  member  of  this  mystically  organized  body  is  in  suffering, 
all  the  members  sympathize  with  him  and  if  one  member  is  in  joy  all 
participate  in  his  rejoicing.  This  doctrine,  so  beautful,  so  just  and 
so  edifying,  you  have  constantly  presented  to  the  memory,  Sirs,  when 
from  a  prosperous  and  generous  country  you  extend  your  inexhaustible 
charity  to  all  the  countries,  to  all  the  people  of  the  Catholic  world. 
You  fly  to  the  help  of  those  who  are  in  need,  you  furnish  to  those 
who  are  in  distress  the  means  of  doing  good,  you  aid  to  edify,  you 
contribute  to  repair  ruins  with  the  intimate  persuasion  that  Jesus 
Christ  Himself  will  render  account  of  the  good  which  you  do  to  the 
distant  members  of  His  mystic  body.  It  is  a  very  sweet  duty  which 
gratitude  imposes  upon  us  of  publicly  recognizing  the  signal  services 
which  the  blessed  Society  of  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  has  rendered 
to  the  young  Church  of  the  United  States.  If  the  grain  of  mustard 
seed  planted  in  the  virgin  soil  of  America  has  struck  deep  roots  and 
has  grown  into  a  gigantic  tree  which  extends  its  branches  from  the 
shores  of  the  Atlantic  Ocean  as  far  as  the  coast  of  the  Pacific  Ocean,  it 
is  mainly  to  the  assistance  rendered  by  your  admirable  Society, 
Gentlemen,  that  we  are  indebted  for  this  blessing.  Assembled  for  the 
third  time  in  Plenary  Council,  the  Archbishops  and  Bishops  of  the 
Republic  of  the  United  States  feel  a  justifiable  joy  in  thinking  of  the 
cooperation  which  you  have  never  ceased  to  extend  to  the  Apostles  of  the 
Catholic  Faith  in  the  New  World,  from  the  year  1822  to  the  present 
day;  and  the  sums  which  during  that  time  you  have  allotted  to  the 
different  dioceses  and  missions  of  this  vast  country,  are  a  striking 
proof  of  the  zeal  and  charity  with  which  you  never  cease  to  aid  us.  In 
our  turn,  we  ardently  desire  to  contribute  to  the  immense  good  which 
you  are  doing  in  all  parts  of  the  globe;  and  if  up  to  now  our  most 
prosperous  provinces  have  only  succeeded  in  furnishing  you  a  relatively 
modest  sum  it  is  because  there  are  great  vacant  spaces  among  us  to  be 
filled  in  and  pressing  needs  to  satisfy,  however  the  time  is  approaching 
when  we  will  be  in  a  position  to  prove  to  you  that  the  Catholic  people 
of  this  country  do  not  permit  themselves  to  be  surpassed  in  generosity 
and  in  benevolence  in  the  great  work  of  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith. 
And  while  we  still  recommend  most  earnestly  to  your  charity  of  which 
we  have  received  so  many  evidences,  the  poorest  churches  and  the  most 
desolate  churches  of  this  Republic,  we  dare  give  you  the  sweet  hope 
that  if  Divine  Providence  blesses  our  efforts  the  gifts  of  our  faithful 
will  become  at  the  same  time  a  powerful  means  of  aiding  you  to  continue 
your  charity  and  as  a  restitution  of  the  benefits  which  your  solicitude 
has  showered  upon  us.81 

61.  Annales,  t.  LVII,  pp.  120-122. 


94          The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

One  of  the  most  important  ways  in  which  the  Church  has 
cooperated  with  the  Society  during  the  last  hundred  years 
is  the  steadfast  support  given  it  by  Propaganda. 

All  matters  concerning  the  Missions  in  general  fall  under 
the  jurisdiction  of  the  Sacred  Congregation  de  Propaganda 
Fide,  and  although  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the 
Faith  submits  the  schedule  of  its  allocations  to  the  Con- 
gregation for  approval  before  the  money  is  paid  out,  and 
also  considers  the  wishes  of  the  Sovereign  Pontiff  in  formu- 
lating this  schedule,  nevertheless  Propaganda  does  not 
exercise  an  active  role  in  the  functions  of  the  Society.  The 
Sacred  Congregation  encourages,  blesses  and  applauds  the 
efforts  of  private  initiative,  but  it  refrains  from  distributing 
the  free  aid  which  Providence  raises  up  for  its  envoys.  The 
chief  function  which  the  Sacred  Congregation  has  performed 
for  the  benefit  of  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the 
Faith  has  consisted  in  exerting  its  constant  and  repeated 
efforts  to  maintain  the  unity  and  universality  of  this  Society."2 
In  treating  this  matter  in  chronological  order  it  will  only  be 
necessary  to  mention  a  few  of  the  important  communications 
between  the  Society  and  the  Sacred  Congregation. 

On  August  28,  1827,  the  Sacred  Congregation  expressed 
its  gratitude  to  the  President  of  the  Council  of  Lyons  for 
having  appropriated  a  sum  of  money  to  aid  the  Church  of 
China.68 

On  February  23,  1828,  a  reply  of  the  Sacred  Congregation 
to  a  request  from  the  President  of  the  Central  Council  of 
Lyons,  asking  the  Sacred  Congregation  which  Missions  were 
most  in  need  of  assistance,  dwelt  upon  the  need  of  Bishop 
John  Dubois,  of  New  York,  in  which  it  quotes  this  phrase 
from  a  letter  of  that  prelate:  "Quid  vero  dicam  de  gravi 


62.  LE  BOY,  La  Propaganda  in  the  Missions  Catholiques,  t.  XXXVII, 
p.  46,  1905;  FRERI,  Propagation  of  the  Faith  in  the  Catholic  Encyclo- 
pedia, vol.  XII,  p.  461. 

63.  Propaganda    Transcripts,    Documento    VI:    La    Sacra    Congre- 
gazionc  ringrazia-  il  presidents  del  consiglio  di  Lione  per  aver,  seoondo 
il  voto  da  lei  espresso,  destinata  una  soinma,  d  beneficio  della  diocesi  di 
Scio.     Lugdunum,  28  Augusti,  1827. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith          95 

aere  alieno,  quo  Cathedralis  ecclesia  ipsa  opprimitur,  videlicet 
28,000  nummis  argenteis  Americanis,  circiter  147,000  galli- 
cana  pecunia?"  This  quotation  emphasizes  the  debt  of  the 
New  York  Cathedral  of  $28,000  as  the  most  urgent  need  of 
all  the  Missions  at  this  time.64 

The  next  communication  between  the  Sacred  Congregation 
and  the  Society  is  that  the  Cardinal  Prefect  Cappellari  (later 
GTegory  XVI)  rejoiced  in  the  fact  that  the  Society  had  not 
suffered  losses  from  the  Revolution  in  France.  This  is  dated 
November  27,  1830.65 

On  June  2,  1832,  the  Sacred  Congregation  sent  the  list 
of  the  new  Bishops  in  missionary  lands  to  the  President  of 
the  Council  of  Lyons  asking  that  the  sums  appropriated  for 
each  diocese  be  sent  directly  to  them.™  The  Society  on 
July  26,  1834,  inquired  from  the  Sacred  Congregation  the 
method  to  be  followed  in  sending  subsidies;  in  this  letter  it 
expressed  some  doubt  concerning  its  relations  with  the 
bishops  and  religious  superiors.67  The  Sacred  Congregation 
in  January,  1835,  inquired  from  Father  Michael  Tecchinelli, 
S.  J.,  concerning  the  most  needy  Missions  which  should  be 
assisted  by  the  money  collected  by  the  Society.68  On  February 


64.  Ut  supra,  Documento  V:   II  Presidente  del  Contnglio  Centrale 
delta   Francia   meridionale    della   pia   Opera    domanda   alia   S.    Congre- 
gazione  quali  siano  le  Missioni  pin  bisognose  di  aiuto.     Lugdunum  23 
Februarii,  1828. 

65.  Ut  supra:  Documento  VIII:  II  Card.  Cappellari,  Prefetto  della 
S.  Congregaeionc  di  Propaganda  si  rallegra  die  pia  Societa  non  abbia 
sofffrto  danni  dalle   rinnovate  rivoluzioni.  E.   P.  Pelagaud,  Lugdunum 
in  Galiis— Vol.  311,  Fol.  1006—27  Novembris,  1830. 

66.  Ut  supra,  Documento  X:   La  S.  Congregazione  di  Propaganda 
manda  al  presidente  di  Lione  la  nota  dei  nuovi  Vcscovi  dei  luoghi  di 
Missione,  ai  quali  dovranno  direttamcnte   essere   inviate   le   allocasioni 
stabilite  per  le  singole  missioni.    2  lunii  1832.  (Arehivio  della  S.  C.  de 
Prop.  Fide,  Letter e,  Vol.  313,  Fol.  513-v.) 

67.  Ut  supra,  Documento  XI:  L 'Opera  pia  intcrroga  la  8.  C.  Con- 
gregacione  di  Propaganda  circa  modo  da  tenersi  nell'inviare  i  sussidi. 
26  Luglio,  1834.     (Vol.  315,  Fol.  406-v.) 

68.  Ut  supra,  Documento  XII:  La  8.  Congregazione  di  Propaganda 
chiede  il  parere  del  P.  Michele  Tecchinelli  della  C.  di  G.  ciii>a  le  missioni 
piu    bisognose    da    sussidiarso    colle    somme    raccolte    dall'Opera    pia. 
Gennaio,  1835    (Archivio   della  S.  C.   de  Prop.  Fide. — Lettere   della  S. 
C.,  Vol.  316,  Fol.  88-v.) 


96  The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

11,  1835,  the  President  of  the  Society  asked  the  views  of  Prop- 
aganda concerning  the  use  to  be  made  of  the  interest  on  the 
money  of  the  Society  and  concerning  the  method  of  sending 
subsidies.09  On  August  the  6th,  1835,  the  Society  expressed 
its  desire  to  work  in  concert  with  the  Sacred  Congregation  in 
respect  to  the  subsidies  that  were  to  be  sent  to  the  various 
Missions.  It  sent  the  list  of  the  Missions  that  were  to  be 
helped  in  order  that  it  might  be  approved  or  modified.70  On 
November  28,  1835,  the  Sacred  Congregation  defended  the 
unity  of  the  Society  against  the  supposed  tentatives  for  au- 
tonomy of  Switzerland  in  regard  to  paying  out  the  sums  col- 
lected. Its  decision  was  that  the  intentions  of  the  donors 
to  apply  the  alms  to  the  Foreign  Missions  across  the  sea  was 
binding  in  conscience.71 

On  February  27,  1836,  Gregory  XVI  g'rarited  the  request 
for  a  part  of  the  sums  collected  in  Switzerland  to  be  directly 
used  by  the  respective  Ordinaries  for  the  benefit  of  the  Mis- 
sions within  that  region.72  On  November  22,  1836,  the  Sacred 
Congregation  assured  the  Central  Council  of  Lyons  that  the 
Councils  of  the  Society  to  be  established  in  Home  and  in 
Naples  would  be  entirely  subject  to  the  Central  Council.71 


69.  Ut  supra,  Documento  XIII:  II  Presidcnte  dell'Opera  pia  diiede 
alia    S.    S.    Congregazione    di    Propaganda    il    parcre    circa    I'impiego 
frutiifcro   dei   denari  dell'Opera,   e   circa   il  modo   d'inviare   i  sussidi. 
Lione,  11  Febbraro,  1835   (Vol.  316,  Fol.  105). 

70.  Ut  supra,  Documento  XIV :  L 'Opera  Pia  dichiara  di  volcr  agir 
di    concerto    con    questa    S.    Congregazione    in    rapporto    ai    sussidi    da 
spedirsi  slle  varie  missioni.    Manda  la  nota  dellc  missioni  da  sussidiarsi 
perclie  la  si  approvi  o  la  si  modifichi.  6  Agosto,  1835. 

71.  Ut    supra,    Documento    XV:    La    Sacra    Congregazione    difende 
I'unita  dell' opera  contro  supposti  tentative  di  autonomia  della  Svizzera, 
per  quel  die  riguarda  la  erogazione  dellc  sortime  raccolte,  28  Novembre, 
1835   (Ibid.,  Fol.  806-v). 

72.  Ut  supra,  Documento  XVII:  Grcgorio  XVI  concede  chc  una  par 
parte  delle  sommc  raccolte  in  Svizzera  siano  direttamcnte   erogate  dai 
rispettivi  Ordinari  a   beneficio  delle  missioni  interne  di  qnella  regione. 
27  Fcbbraio,  1836  (Lettre  della  S.  C.,  Vol.  317,  Fol.  123). 

73.  Ut  supra,  Documento  XVIII:  La  Sacra  Congregazione  assicura 
il  Consiglio  centrale  di  Lione  die  i  consigli  dell'Opera  pia  da  stabilirsi 
a  Eoma  e  a  Napoli  saranno  pienamente  soggetti  al  medesimo  Consiglio 
centrale.    Li  22  Novembre,  1836  (Ibid.,  Fol.  867). 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith          97 

On  January  24,  1837,  Cardinal  Brignole  was  nominated  Presi- 
dent of  the  Council  of  the  Society  that  was  to  be  established  in 
Rome.74 

On  March  18,  1837,  the  Sacred  Congregation  of  Propa- 
ganda recommended  that  the  Archbishop  favor  the  founda- 
tion in  Naples  of  a  Council  of  the  Society  for  the  Kingdom 
of  the  two  Sicilies  which  was  to  be  subject  to  the  Central 
Council  of  Lyons.7"  On  April  10,  1837,  the  Government  of 
Naples  expressed  its  desire  that  the  Council  of  the  Society 
established  in  the  Kingdom  of  Naples,  correspond,  not  with 
the  Central  Council  of  Lyons,  but  with  the  Council  to  be 
established  in  Rome.70  On  May  2,  1837,  the  permission  was 
accorded  to  the  Central  Council  of  Naples  to  correspond 
directly  with  Propaganda  as  well  as  with  the  Central  Council 
of  the  Society  at  Lyons.77  On  July  8,  1837,  the  Sacred  Congre- 
gation indicated  to  the  Central  Council  of  Lyons  the  African 
Missions  that  were  to  be  assisted.78  On  July  15,  1837,  the 
Sacred  Congregation  warmly  recommended  to  the  Bishop  of 
Ghent  the  spread  of  the  Society  in  his  diocese.70  On  January 
30,  1838,  the  Sacred  Congregation  manifested  to  Cardinal 
Brignole  the  desire  of  the  Central  Council  of  Lyons  that  the 
Council  of  the  Society  established  in  Rome  be  made  dependent 


74.  Ut  supra,  Documento  XIX:  II  Card.  Brignole  vicnc  nominate 
prcsidentc  del  Consiglio  Dell'Opera  pia   da  stabilirsi  in  Eoma.   Li   24 
Gennato,  1837   (Lettere  dclla  S.  C.,  Vol.  318,  Fol.  46). 

75.  Ut  supra,  Documento  XX:  La  S.  Congregazione  di  Propaganda 
raccomanda  all'Archivescovo  di  favorire  in  Napoli  di  un  Consiglio  dcll- 
'Opcra  per  il  regno  delle  Due  Sidle,  il  quale  resti  saggetto  al  Consiglio 
di  Lione.     18  Marzo,  1837   (Ibid.,  Fol.  238-v). 

76.  Ut  supra,  Documento  XXI:  II  Governo  di  Napoli  desidera  che 
il  Consiglio  della  pia  Opera  da  stabilirso  nel  Eegno  corrisponda  non  col 
Consiglio  Centrale  di  Lione,  ma  con  quello  da  stabilirsi  in  Eoma.     Li  10 
Aprile,  1837   (Ibid.,  Fol.  374-v). 

77.  Ut    supra,    Documento    XXII:     Si    accorda    al    Consiglio     di 
Napoli  di  poter  corrispondcre  direttamentc  con  la  Propaganda  anziche 
col  centro  dell'Opera  a  Lione.  Li  ii  Maggio,  1837   (Ibid.,  Fol.  460-v). 

78.  Ut  supra,  Documento  XXIII:  La  S.  Congregazione  di  Propa- 
ganda indica  al  Consiglio  ccntrale  di  Lione  le  missioni  di  Affrica  da  sus- 
sidiarsi.  8  Luglio,  1837   (Ibid.,  Fol.  580-v). 

79.  Ut  supra,  Documento  XXIV:  La  S.  Congrcgasionc  raccomanda 
caldamente  al  Vescovo  di  Gand  la  diffusions  della  pia  Opera  nella  sua 
diocesi.     15  lulii,  1837   (Ibid.,  Fol.  601). 


98          The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

upon  Lyons.80  On  July  26,  1838,  the  Sacred  Congregation 
defended  the  unity  of  the  Society  which  was  menaced  by  the 
attempted  separation  of  Bavaria,  which  would  prefer  to  be 
united  to  the  Leopoldine  Society  of  Vienna.81  The  ruling  was 
that  Bishop  Rese's  claim  to  an  authorization  of  the  Sacred 
Congregation  to  transfer  funds  of  the  Bavarian  Society  to 
Vienna,  and  hence  that  they  would  no  longer  be  sent  to 
France,  was  not  valid;  Rese  had  no  authority  to  treat  these 
or  other  questions,  hence  the  money  would  have  to  go  to 
Lyons. 

On  November  8,  1838,  the  Sacred  Congregation  expressed 
its  desire  that  the  dioceses  of  Northern  Italy  continue  to 
correspond  directly  with  the  Council  of  Lyons.82  On  Decem- 
ber 13,  1838,  the  Sacred  Congregation  asked  the  Council  of 
Lyons  what  regulations  it  believed  to  be  opportune  for  the 
preservation  of  unity  between  the  newly  established  Roman 
Association  and  the  Central  Council ;  and  asked  if  it  did  not 
think  it  opportune  to  send  the  money  collected  in  Rome 
directly  to  the  missions  in  order  to  avoid  unnecessary  losses 
occasioned  by  the  useless  transfer  and  exchange  of  money.83 
On  January  22,  1839,  the  Sacred  Congregation  endeavored 
to  prevent  the  organization  of  pious  Societies  different  from 
that  of  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  of  Lyons  in  Belgium, 


80.  Ut   supra,   Documento   XXV :   La   S.   Congregazione   manifesto, 
al   Card.  Brignole   il   desiderio   del   Consiglio  Centrale   di  Lione   che   il 
Consiglio  dell' Opera  della  Propagazione  dclla  Fede  erctta  in  Eoma  sia 
posto  sotto  la  dipendenza  del  medesimo.     Li  30  Gennaro,  1838   (Lettere 
della  S.  C.,  Vol.  319,  Fol.  129). 

81.  Ut  supra,  Documento  XXVII:  La  Sacra  Congregazione  difende 
I'unita  della  Pia  Opera  della  Propaga-zione  della  Fcde  minacciata  da 
tentativi  separastisti  della  Baviera  die  desidererebbc  piuttusto  di  unirsi 
alia  Societa  Leapoldina  di  Vienna.     Li  26  Luglio,  1838   (Lettere  della 
S.  C.,  Vol.  320,  Fol.  724). 

82.  Ut  supra,  Documento  XXVIII:   La  8.  Congregazione  desidera 
che  le  diocesi  dell 'Altai  Italia  continuino  a  corrispondere  direttamente 
col  Consiglio  di  Lione.     Li  8  Novembre,  1838   (Ibid.,  Fol.  1301). 

83.  Ut  supra,  Documento  XXVI:  La  S.  Congregazione  domanda  al 
Consiglio    di   Lione    quali    disposizione    si    credano    piu    opportune    per 
oondcrvare  I'unita  fra  la  neonata  associazione  romana  ed  il  Consiglio 
Centrale  e  se  non  crcda  opportuno  I'invio  dirctto  alle  missioni  dei  fondi 
raccolti  in  Eoma,  per  evitare   perdite   d'inutili   passaggi   di  dcnaro   e 
relativi  cambi.  Li  13  Decembre,  1838  (Lettere  della  S.  C.,  Vol.  320,  Fol. 
1379). 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith          99 

England  and  Bavaria  in  order  that  the  unity  and  universality 
of  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  might  not  be 
injured.84  On  February  5,  1839,  after  the  Council  of  the 
Society  established  in  Ghent  had  refused  to  correspond  with 
the  Council  of  Lyons,  the  Sacred  Congregation  wrote  an 
urgent  appeal  to  the  Bishop  of  Ghent,  Louis  Joseph  Dele- 
becque,  insisting  upon  the  unity  of  the  Society  which  His 
Holiness  Gregory  XVI  had  very  much  at  heart.85  On  Novem- 
ber 16,  1839,  the  King  of  Bavaria,  after  much  hesitation, 
agreed  to  the  union  of  the  Bavarian  Council  of  the  Society  to 
the  Central  Council  of  Lyons.88 

On  July  14,  1840,  the  Holland  branch  of  the  Society 
expressed  its  purpose  to  correspond  directly  with  the  Sacred 
Congregation.87  On  February  25,  1841,  the  Sacred  Congrega- 
tion endeavored  to  reestablish  the  Superior  Council  of  the 
whole  Society,  by  confiding  its  direction  to  Cardinal  De 
Bonald.88  In  the  letter  to  Mgr.  Garibaldi,  Apostolic  Nuncio 
to-  Paris,  the  reasons  given  for  reestablishing  this  Superior 
Council  were  that  the  two  Councils  of  Lyons  arid  Paris  might 
not  be  in  conflict;  that  greater  unity  might  be  attained,  and 
somewhat  more  deference  paid  to  Propaganda  011  whom  all 
Missions  depended.  The  selection  of  Cardinal  De  Bonald 
was  made  in  virtue  of  his  high  office,  as  a  Cardinal,  and  it 
was  recalled  that  the  Grand  Chaplain  of  France,  Cardinal  de 


84.  Ut    supra,   Documento   XXIX:    La    Sacra    Congregazione    cera 
d'impedirc  die  in  Belgio,  Inghilterra,  Baviera  s'istituiscano  pie  opcre 
diverse  dalla  Pia  Opera  dclla  Propagazione  della  Fede  di  Lione  die  ne 
compremettano  I'unita  el'universalita.     Li  22  Gennaro,  1839.      (Lettere 
della  S.  C.,  Vol.  321). 

85.  Ut  supra,  Documento  XXX:  II  Consiglio  dclla  Opera  stabilito 
in  Gand  si  rifiuta  di  corrispondere  col  Consiglio  di  Lione.  Die  5  Feb- 
ruarii,  1839  (Ibid.,  Fol.  121). 

86.  Ut  supra,  Documento  XXXII:  II  Ee   di  Bavicra,  dopo   molte 
esitazioni  annuisce  alia  unione  del  Consiglio  bavarese  per  I'Opera  Pia 
della  Propagazione  della  Fede  al  Consiglio  Centrale  di  Lione.  Die   16 
Novembris,  1839   (Ibid.,  Fol.  1136). 

87.  Ut  supra,  Documento  XXXIIbis:  II  ramo  olandesc  dell'Opera 
Pia  preferisce  di  corrispondere  direttamente  con  la  S.  Congregazione  di 
Propaganda.  14  Luglio,  1840  (Lettere  della  S.  C.,  Vol.  324,  Fol.  638-v). 

88.  Ut  supra,  Documento  XXXIIIbis :  La  S. .  Congregazione  si  ad- 
opera  per  ristabilire  il  Consiglio  Superiore  di  tutta  I'Opera,  affidandone 
la  disrezione  al  Card.  DC  Bonald,  25  Ferraro,  1841   (Lettere  della  S.  C., 
Vol.  325,  Fol.  146-v). 


100         The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

Croy,  was  its  former  President.  On  November  27,  1841,  the 
Sacred  Congregation  insisted  that  the  Society  as  established 
in  Holland  depend  upon  the  Central  Council  of  Lyons.89 

On  December  11,  1841,  the  Sacred  Congregation  took  up 
again  the  project  of  reconstructing  the  Superior  Council  of 
the  whole  Society  and  asked  the  Internuncio  to  remind  the 
Directors  of  the  deference  due  to  His  Holiness."0  On  January 
22,  1842,  the  Sacred  Congregation  urged  the  Archbishop  of 
Salerno  to  preserve  the  unity  of  the  Society.91  On  January  31, 
1842,  the  Sacred  Congregation  recommended  to  the  Arch- 
bishop of  Lima  that  the  Society,  instituted  in  his  diocese  to 
aid  the  Missions,  be  joined  to  the  Central  Council  of  Lyons.92 
On  July  2,  1842,  the  Council  of  the  Society  established  in 
South  America  demanded  complete  independence  from  the 
Council  of  Lyons.93  On  August  3,  1844,  a  decree  of  the  King 
of  Bavaria  ordered  that  the  Council  of  the  work  existing  in 
his  States  deal  directly  with  Rome  and  have  no  further  rela- 
tion with  the  Central  Council  of  Lyons.  Another  document 
of  the  same  date  relates  to  the  same  question.04  A  decree  of 
the  Sacred  Congregation  of  August  3,  1844,  made  the  Council 


89.  Ut    supra,    Documento    XXXIV:   La    S.    Congrcgazione   insiste 
perche    il    Cotisiglio    dell'Opcra    Pia    costituitosi    in    Olanda    entro    in 
corrispondenza   col   Consiglio   Centralc   di  Lione.   L'Aia,   27   Novembre, 

1841  (Vol.  326,  Fol.  1231). 

90.  Ut  supra,  Docwnento  XXXV:  Sul  progctto  della  ricostruzione 
del  Consiglio  Intcrnunzio  Apostolico  in  Parigi.  11  Decembre,  1841  (Ibid., 
Fol.  1324). 

91.  Ut  supra,  Documcnto  XXXVIII:  La  Sacra  Congrcgazione  racco- 
manda  all' Archive scovo  di  Salerno  I'unita  della  Pia  Opera.  22  Geimaio, 

1842  (Lettere  della   S.   C.,  Vol.   327,   Fol.  54-v). 

92.  Ut   supra,   Documento   XXXIX:   La   Sacra  Congregazione   rac- 
comanda  att'Archivescovo   di  Lima  die,  istituita  V Opera  Pia  a  favore 
delle  missioni,  sia  aggregata  al  Consiglio  Centrale  di  Lione.  31  Gennaro, 
1842   (Ibid.,  Fol.  86-v). 

93.  Ut    supra,    Documento    XXXVUs:    I    Consigli    dell'Opcra   Pia 
della  Propagazione  della  Fede  stabiliti  nell' America  del  Sud  reclamano 
una  completa  indipcndcnza  dal  ccntro  di  Lione.  2  Luglio,  1842  (Lettere, 
Vol.  327,  Fol.  533-v). 

94.  Ut    supra,    Documento    XL:     Un    decreto    del    re    di  Baviera 
stabilisce  she  il  Consiglio  dell 'Opera  Pia  esistentc  nci  suoi  Stati  se  la 
intenda  direttamente   con  Eoma  e   non   abbia  piu  alcuna  rclazione   col 
centro  di  Lione.  3  Agosto  1844   (Lettere  della  S.  C.,  Vol.  331) ;   Docu- 
mento  XLI:   Sul   medcsimo   argomento.      3    Agosto,    1844    (Ibid.,   Fol. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith        101 

established  in  Bavaria  directly  depend  upon  the  Sacred  Con- 
gregation.96 On  November  13,  1844,  the  Sacred  Congregation 
lamented  the  character  of  complete  independence  from  Rome 
of  the  Central  Council  of  the  Society,  a  character  which,  it 
felt,  on  account  of  national  susceptibilities,  imperilled  the 
unity  of  the  same.98  On  May  13,  1848,  Spain  sent  directly 
to  Rome  the  money  collected  in  that  kingdom  for  the  Propa- 
gation of  the  Faith.97  On  June  7,  1848,  the  Sacred  Congrega- 
tion begged  the  Internuncio  to  Bavaria  to  send  to  Rome 
the  remainder  of  the  amount  of  the  allocations  made.98 
On  September  20,  1848,  the  Sacred  Congregation  paid  the 
appropriations  determined  upon  by  the  Council  of  Lyons  with 
the  money  collected  by  the  Council  of  Rome.99  On  June  10, 
1904,  the  Council  of  the  Society  in  London  decided  to  send 
to  Lyons,  in  the  future,  only  one-tenth  of  the  collections  made 
in  England.100 

The  projected  general  union  of  the  Austrian  Mission 
Societies  (the  Societies  of  St.  Peter  Claver,  of  Mary,  both  of 
which  are  for  Africa ;  the  Leopoldiiie  Society  for  North 
America ;  the  Society  of  the  Immaculate  Conception  and  those 
of  the  Holy  Childhood  and  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith) 


95.  Ut    supra,    Documento    XLII:    II    Consiglio    della    Pia    Opera 
stabilito  in  Baviera,  passa  alle  dipendenze  dirette  dclla  S.  Congregazione. 
3  Agosto,  1844   (Ibid.,  Fol.  500-v). 

96.  Ut  supra,  Documento  XLIII:  La  Sacra  Congregazione  lamenta 
il  carattere   di  completa  indipendenza  da,  Roma  assunti  dal   Consiglio 
Centrale  dell'Opcra,  carattere  die  unito  alle  susccttibilita  nazwnali  mette 
in  periculo    I'unita  della   medesima.      13    Novembre,    1844    (Ibid.,   Fol. 
819-v). 

97.  Ut  supra,  Documento  XLIV :  La  Spagna  invia  direttamente  a 
Eoma  la  somma  raccolta  per  la  Propagazione  della  Fcde  in  quel  regno. 
13  Maggio,  1848   (Vol.  337,  Fol.  343). 

98.  Ut    supra,    Documento    XLV :    La    Sacra    Congregazione    prega 
I'Intcrnunsio  di  Baviera  di  voler  rimcttere  a  Eoma  il  sopravanzo  delle 
allocazioni  fatte.     7  Guigno,  1848  (Ibid.,  Fol.  420-v). 

99.  Ut  supra,  Documento  XLVI:  La  Sacra  Congregazione  di  Propa- 
ganda paga  col  denaro   raccolto   dal  Consiglio   di  Eoma   le   allocazioni 
stabilite  dal  Consiglio  di  Lione.  20  Scttembre,  1848   (Ibid.,  Fol.  694-v). 

100.  Ut   supra,   Documento  LXIII:    II   Consiglio    dell'Opcra   della 
Propagazione  della  Fede  in  Londra  decide    dinon  piu  rimettere  a  Lione 
se  non  un  decimo  del  prodotto  delle  collette  fatte  in  Inghilterra.   10 
Giugno,  1904. 


' 

• 

J        i    -i         1      . *  *        ' 

102         The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

were  all  involved  in  this  tentative.101  Finally,  owing  to  the 
growing  demands  in  various  parts  of  the  world  for  a  more 
modern  method  of  organization,  a  definitive  basis  for  the 
constitution  of  the  Society  of  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 
in  Spain  is  being  planned,102  and  as  Guasco  has  written: 
"According  to  all  the  previsions,  at  the  beginning  of  the 
second  century  of  its  existence,  the  Society  for  the  Propaga- 
tion of  the  Faith  is  sure  to  suffer  transformations  in  its 
administration.  Some  national  councils  are  in  process  of 
formation.  We  have  a  First  Pontifical  Act  constituting  one 
of  these  Councils ;  in  a  decree  of  March  1,  1921,  His  Holiness 
Pope  Benedict  XV,  created  at  Rome  a  Central  Council  placed 
directly  under  the  dependence  of  the  Sacred  Congregation  de 
Propaganda  Fide,  for  all  the  dioceses  of  Italy  and  charged 
it  with  the  duty  of  procuring  a  fuller  development  of  the 
Society  in  the  Peninsula  (Italy).  What  will  be  the  relations 
of  this  Council  with  those  of  Lyons  and  at  Paris  ?  Will  they 
assist  in  an  International  Council  at  Rome  or  somewhere  else 
or  will  the  ancient  French  Councils  become  simple  interme- 
diaries between  the  faithful  and  this  International  Council  or 
will  they  preserve  their  present  character?  Will  the  Sacred 
Congregation  take  over  the  effective  direction  of  the  Society? 
Will  the  American  project  for  independence  from  the  Coun- 
cils -of  Lyons  and  Paris  succeed?  These  and  many  other 
questions  regarding  the  Society  are  yet  to  be  solved." 

The  following  indulgences  have  been  granted  to  all  mem- 
bers of  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  by  the 
Sovereign  Pontiffs  Pius  VII,  Leo  XII,  Pius  VIII,  Gregory 
XVI,  Pius  IX,  Leo  XIII,  Pius  X  and  Benedict  XV. 

The  Plenary  and  Partial  Indulgences  may  be  gained  by 
all  those  who  are  Ordinary  or  Special  Members  of  the  Asso- 


101.  Ut  supra,  Documento  LXVI:  La  progettata  Unione  Generate 
delle  Missioni  Austriache. 

102.  Ut  supra,  Documento  LXVII:  Basi  dedfinitive  per  la  costitu- 
zione  delta  Propagazione  della  Fede  nella  Spagna. 

103.  GUASCO,  L'Oeuvre  de  la  Propagation  de  la  Foi,  Un  Siecle  d' 
Historic  in  the  Correapondant,  t.  284,  p.  1030,  Sept.  25,  1921. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith        103 

elation.  By  a  decree  dated  May  25,  1885,  His  Holiness,  Pope 
Leo  XIII,  extended  these  privileges  for  life  to  those  who  fulfil 
the  conditions  of  life  membership. 

To  gain  the  Plenary  Indulgences,  the  usual  conditions  of 
Confession,  Communion,  a  visit  to  the  parish  church  and 
prayers  for  the  intentions  of  the  Sovereign  Pontiff  are  re- 
quired. We  may  remark  that  a  virtual  intention  suffices,  and 
that  those  who  go  to  confession  once  a  week  (saltern  semel 
in  hcbdomada)  can  gain  all  Plenary  Indulgences  occurring 
in  the  interval  between  one  Confession  and  another.  Pope 
Pius  X  removed  the  condition  of  weekly  confession  in  favour 
of  those  receiving  Holy  Communion  daily  or  at  least  five  or 
six  times  a  week.  Consequently,  priests  who  celebrate  every 
day  may  gain  all  these  Indulgences,  though  they  do  not  make 
weekly  Confession.  These  Plenary  Indulgences  can  be  gained 
on  the  days  mentioned  once  only  at  any  hour  from  the  First 
Vespers,  2  p.  m.,  of  the  eve  of  the  Feast,  to  sunset  on  the 
following  day,  or  on  any  day  of  the  octave,  if  there  is  an 
octave;  should  these  feasts  be  transferred  by  proper  author- 
ity, the  Indulgences  likewise  accompany  them  and  therefore, 
may  be  gained  on  the  same  conditions.  Members  of  religious 
houses,  convents,  seminaries,  colleges,  etc.,  may  visit  the  pri- 
vate chapel  of  the  establishment  instead  of  the  parish  church. 

Children  who  have  not  made  their  first  communion  can 
gain  them  by  performing  some  pious  work  appointed  by  their 
confessor. 

I.     PLENARY  INDULGENCES 

May  3d — Feast  of  the  Finding  of  the  Cross.  The  day  on 
which  the  Association  was  established. 

December  3d — Feast  of  St.  Francis  Xavier,  the  Patron 
of  the  Association. 

The  Epiphany,  the  Annunciation,  the  Assumption,  St. 
Michael  (September  29th). 

On  all  Feasts  of  the  Apostles. 

Every  Month — On  any  two  days  chosen  by  the  Associates. 


104        The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

Once  a  Year — On  the  day  of  the  general  commemoration 
of  the  deceased  Members  of  the  Committee  or  the  Circle  to 
which  one  belongs. 

On  the  Day  of  Admittance  into  the  Association. 

At  the  Hour  of  Death,  by  invoking,  at  least  in  the  heart, 
the  Name  of  Jesus. 

Members  gain  the  favour  of  the  privileged  Altar  for  every 
Mass  said  in  the  name  of  an  Associate  for  a  deceased  Member. 

II.     PARTIAL  INDULGENCES 

Seven  Years  and  Seven  Quarantines  every  time  an  Asso- 
ciate performs  in  aid  of  the  Association  any  work  of  devotion 
or  charity. 

Three  hundred  days  every  time  an  Associate  assists  at  the 
"Triduum"  on  May  3rd  and  December  3rd. 

One  hundred  days  every  time  an  Associate  recites  the 
"Our  Father"  and  "Hail  Mary,"  together  with  the  invoca- 
tion to  St.  Francis  Xavier. 

All  these  Indulgences,  both  Plenary  and  Partial,  are  ap- 
plicable to  the  souls  in  purgatory.104 

III.     SPECIAL  FAVORS  GRANTED  TO  ECCLESIASTICAL 
BENEFACTORS 

A — To  every  Priest  who  shall  be  charged  in  any  parish 
or  establishment  to  collect  alms  for  the  Society  for  the  Propa- 
gation of  the  Faith,  or  who,  either  from  his  own  resources, 
or  otherwise,  shall  contribute  to  the  funds  of  the  Society  a 
sum  equal  to  the  subscription  of  an  entire  band  of  ten: 

1st.     The  favor  of  the  privileged  Altar  three  times  a  week. 

2d.     The  power  to  apply  the  following  Indulgences: — 

To  the  faithful  at  the  hour  of  death,  a  Plenary  Indulgence; 


104.  Spiritual  Privileges  Granted  to  the  Association  for  the  Propa- 
gation of  the  Faith,  pp.  25-27,  London,  1916. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith        105 

to  Beads  or  Rosaries,  Crosses,  Crucifixes,  Pictures,  Statues 
and  Medals,  the  Apostolic  Indulgences ;  to  Beads,  the  Brigitine 
Indulgences. 

3d.  The  faculty  of  attaching  to  Crucifixes  the  Indulgences 
of  the  Way  of  the  Cross. 

B — (a)  To  every  Priest  who  is  a  Diocesan  Director,  or  a 
Member  of  a  Committee,  appointed  to  watch  over  the  inter- 
ests of  the  Work : 

(b)  To  every  other  Priest  who  in  the  course  of  the  year 
shall  pay  to  the  account  of  the  Society  a  sum  equal  at  least  to 
the  amount  of  one  thousand  subscriptions  ($600.00),  from 
whatever  source  derived : 

1st.  The  same  favors  enjoyed  by  Priests  in  the  preceding 
category. 

2d.  The  favor  of  the  privileged  Altar  five  times  a  week 
personally.  (Brief  of  Pius  IX,  December  31,  1853.) 

3d.  The  power  to  bless  Crosses  with  the  Indulgences  of 
the  Way  of  the  Cross,  and,  moreover,  the  power  to  invest 
with  the  Seraphic  Cord  and  Scapular,  and  to  impart  all  the 
Indulgences  and  privileges  granted  to  such  investiture  by  the 
Sovereign  Pontiffs. 

4th.  The  power  to  bless,  and  invest  the  faithful  with, 
the  Scapular  of  Mt.  Carmel,  the  Immaculate  Conception,  and 
the  Passion  of  Our  Lord. 

In  case  the  collection  of  the  special  subscriptions  should 
be  for  the  moment  incomplete,  His  Holiness  prolongs  the 
privileges  of  the  Priest  who  shall  have  brought  in  the  entire 
amount  the  preceding  year,  up  to  the  current  account. 
(Rescript  of  Leo  XIII,  June  16,  1878.) 

C — Every  Priest  who  shall  contribute  once  for  all  out 
of  his  private  resources,  a  sum  representing  the  amount  of 
one  thousand  subscriptions  ($600.00)  shall  enjoy,  during  his 
life,  the  favors  granted  to  the  Priests  who  are  Members  of  a 
Committee. 


106         The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

D— On  February  1,  1908,  Pope  Pius  X  has  granted  to 
all  Priests  who  are  Diocesan  or  Parochial  Directors,  Perpetual 
or  Special  Members  of  the  Society,  the  faculty  of  applying 
(unico  crucis  signo)  the  Crosier  Indulgences  to  Rosaries  (an 
Indulgence  of  500  days  for  each  Our  Father  and  Hail  Mary ) . 

IV.     FEAST  DAYS  OF  THE  SOCIETY 

In  order  to  bring  down  the  blessing  of  God  on  the  Work 
and  on  the  Missions,  the  Society  has  selected,  as  times  of 
special  prayer  and  Thanksgiving : 

I.  The  third  of  May,  feast  of  the  Finding  of  the  Holy 
Cross,  the  anniversary  of  the  foundation  of  the  Society  in 
1822. 

II.  The  third  of  December,  feast  of  St.  Francis  Xavier, 
patron  of  the  Society.108 

The  Feast  of  the  Second  Patron  of  the  Society,  St. 
Exupere,  was  established  in  1838.106 

A  Society,  such  as  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith,  founded 
and  organized  chiefly  by  laymen  and  laywomen,  would  nat- 
urally attract  the  interest  and  the  zeal  of  the  laity  throughout 
the  world.  Hence,  the  historian  has  the  pleasure  of  recording, 
side-by-side  with  the  cooperation  of  the  Holy  See  and  of  the 
Catholic  Episcopate,  the  lay  cooperation  of  the  past  hundred 
years. 

During  the  period  of  union  and  protectorate  when  the 
civil  power  was  united  with  the  Church  in  its  missionary  en- 
deavors and  supported  them  with  its  budget,  there  was  a  strong 
tradition  among  the  crowned  heads  of  Europe  which  caused 
them  to  foster  the  Missions.  But  with  the  French  Revolution 
all  this  was  changed.  At  the  time  of  the  foundation  of  this 
Society  in  France,  King  Louis  XVIII  was  apprised  of  its  exis- 
tence and  appealed  to  by  his  Chaplain,  Cardinal  Prince  de 
Croy  for  his  permission  to  arouse  the  interest  of  all  the  Bishops 


105.  FRERI,  op.  tit.,  pp.  18-19,  1912;  ibid.,  pp.  59-60  in  the  Annals, 
vol.  LXXXV,   1922. 

106.  Annales,  t.  XI,  pp.  168-182;  459-462. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith        107 

of  his  realm  in  favor  of  the  spread  of  this  Society/07  In  the  Car- 
dinal's  remarks  to  his  sovereign  he  dwelt  upon  the  traditions 
of  the  illustrious  Kings  of  France  such  as  King  St.  Louis  and 
of  Louis  XIV,  who  had  distinguished  themselves  by  their 
efforts  to  promote  the  Missions.  The  good  will  and  financial 
support  of  Louis  XVIII  was  easily  won  for  the  Society ;  not 
only  did  the  king  contribute  to  the  Society  but  he  and  the 
royal  family  seemed  ever  willing  to  turn  an  attentive  ear  to 
the  requests  of  missionary  bishops.  For  the  United  States 
one  striking  instance  of  this  liberality  is  found  in  providing 
one  of  the  ships  of  his  royal  navy,  La  Caravane,  in  which 
Bishop  Du  Bourg  brought  to  America  many  missionaries  and 
seminarians  as  well  as  many  pious  objects  which  he  had  col- 
lected abroad.  The  successor  of  Louis  XVIII,  Charles  X, 
also  manifested  his  good  will  towards  the  Society  and  wished 
his  name  to  be  placed  at  the  head  of  the  subscription  list.108 
In  the  New  Orleans  Cathedral  were  hung  six  religious  paint- 
ings which  were  gifts  from  the  Kings  of  France.  At  the  time 
that  Mt.  St.  Mary's  Seminary  and  College  was  destroyed  by 
fire,  a  special  gift  of  3,000  francs  from  the  King  of  France  is 
another  evidence  of  his  interest  in  the  Missions.109 

The  King  of  Sardinia  also  showed  particular  benevolence 
and  encouragement  towards  this  Society  as  did  also  the  King 
of  the  two  Sicilies.110  But  the  characteristic  of  missionary 
activity  during  the  modern  period  is  that  it  is  carried  on  not 
by  the  sovereigns  or  the  great  and  powerful  of  the  world.  The 
new  plan  of  supporting  the  Missions  by  frequent  small  dona- 
tions was  both  devised  and  carried  into  execution  chiefly 
through  the  efforts  of  the  common  people.  Under  these  con- 
ditions all  that  the  Society  asks  and  expects  of  any  govern- 
ment is  a  full  measure  of  liberty  in  carrying  on  its  work. 

Perhaps  the  most  conspicuous  services  rendered  to  the 
Society  by  prominent  laymen  has  been  in  the  field  of  the 


107.  Annales,  t.  I,  fasc.  iii,  p.  11;  t.  I,  fasc.  v,  pp.  5-6. 

108.  GUASCO,     op.     tit.,    in     the     Correspondant,     pp.     1010-1011: 
' '  Charles  X  declared  himself  its  protector  and  made  an  offering  to  it. ' ' 

109.  Annales,  t.  I,  fasc.  v,  p.  32. 

110.  Annales,  t.  I,  fasc.  v,  pp.  30-40. 


108         The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

administration  of  the  Society  and  the  editing  of  its  various 
publications.  Frederic  Ozanam,  the  illustrious  founder  of 
the  St.  Vincent  de  Paul  Society,  was  for  some  time  the  editor 
of  the  Annales  de  la  Propagation  de  la  Foi.  A  list  of  the  names 
of  the  Directors  of  the  two  Councils  of  Lyons  and  Paris  and 
of  the  editors  of  the  Annales  and  the  Missions  Catholiqucs 
would  contain  a  large  number  of  names  of  persons  prominent 
not  only  by  virtue  of  their  birth  and  station  but  also  distin- 
guished for  the  services  they  have  rendered  to  God,  to  their 
Church,  to  their  country  and  to  their  fellowman.  One  example 
alone  will  suffice  to  illustrate  this  truth.  The  present  General 
Secretary  of  the  Central  Council  of  Paris,  M.  Alexandre 
Guasco,  in  the  year  1883,  gave  up  a  promising  career  as  an 
avocat  to  consecrate  his  life  to  the  supervision  of  this 
Council.  Through  his  intense  application  and  keen  discern- 
ment he  has  discovered  the  proportionate  needs  of  each  of 
the  hundreds  of  Missions  aided  by  the  Society  each  year,  and 
thus  he  has  wisely  directed  the  distribution  of  vast  sums  of 
money  to  all  the  Missions  of  the  world  wherever  and  whenever 
he  believed  it  was  needed  most  and  could  do  the  most  good. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith         109 


CHAPTER  VI 

THE  GROWTH  OF  THE  SOCIETY 

In  his  Histoire  Generate  de  la  Societe  des  Missions  fitran- 
geres,  Launay,  with  characteristic  piety,  has  said  that 
societies  such  as  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 
are  generally  founded  by  the  successive  efforts  of  many  minds 
and  many  hearts,  their  birth  is  difficult  and  slow  up  to  the 
day  when  a  ray  of  providential  light  passes  over  them  and 
makes  them  flower  and  bear  fruit.1 

The  Propagation  of  the  Faith  spread  at  first  especially 
in  France  with  extreme  rapidity.  The  ecclesiastical  author- 
ities of  Rome  and  of  France  published  mandates  in  its  favor, 
and  designated  priests  to  receive  the  collections.  The  pastors, 
the  assistants,  and  the  clergy  made  themselves  its  ardent  sup- 
porters. The  grandeur  of  the  work  was  pleasing  to  all  minds ; 
the  universality  touched  the  hearts.  The  modesty  of  the  alms 
permitted  the  poor  to  join  their  contributions  to  those  of 
the  rich.  And  so,  the  news  of  the  Society's  foundation  came 
to  the  Missions  with  that  of  its  progress  and  was  received 
with  gratitude. 

What  motives,  we  read  in  one  of  the  early  Annales,  to 
redouble  one 's  ardor  and  zeal  in  such  a  holy  enterprise !  What 
could  be  more  consoling  than  the  perspective  of  the  immense 
good  to  be  produced  for  the  salvation  of  souls  by  prayers  so 
short  and  by  a  contribution  so  modest !  And  what  one  of  the 
faithful,  in  thinking  of  this  small  alms  given  each  week,  which 
often  goes  more  than  a  thousand  leagues  to  aid  in  the  conver- 
sion of  the  soul  for  whom  Jesus  Christ  died,  would  not  feel 
his  heart  thrill  and  his  charity  be  inflamed!  It  has  pleased 
Providence  to  bless  this  generous  Association  and  to  multiply 


1.  LAUNAY,  op.  cit.,  t.  II,  p.  500. 


110         The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

its  members  for  the  sanctification  of  the  Christians  who  com- 
pose it  as  well  as  for  the  conversion  of  those  in  whom  it  places 
its  interests.2 

The  object  of  the  Society  could  not  long  be  confined  within 
the  boundaries  of  a  province,  as  Louvet  has  written.8  A  few 
days  after  the  first  assembly,  one  of  the  members  of  the  Cen- 
tral Council  of  Lyons  set  out  to  arouse  the  ever-ardent  charity 
of  the  cities  of  the  South  of  France.  Diocesan  committees 
were  formed  at  Avignon,  Aix,  Marseilles,  Nimes,  Montpelier, 
Grenoble.  The  most  eminent  members  of  the  clergy  joined 
with  the  most  religious  laymen,  and  the  confident  activity  of 
so  many  good  men  seemed  already  to  give  promise  of  great 
success.  Not  long  afterwards,  one  of  the  founders  went  to 
Paris;  through  his  efforts,  a  Superior  Council  as  well  as  a 
Diocesan  Council  were  formed  there,  and,  henceforth,  the 
Society  embraced  the  whole  nation.  In  the  year  1823,  a  dele- 
gate of  the  Council  of  Lyons,  obtained  papal  approbation 
together  with  the  indulgences  which  enrich  the  Society  in 
perpetuity.4  Then  encouraging  words  came  from  almost  all 
the  bishops  of  France.  Thus  the  new  institution,  strength- 
ened by  the  approbation  of  the  Holy  See,  sure  of  its  support, 
sustained  by  its  encouragements,  crossed  the  frontiers  of 
France,  and  began  the  conquest  of  the  world.  The  realm 
of  Piedmont  was  the  first  to  welcome  it.  The  King  of  Sar- 
dinia inscribed  his  own  name  at  the  head  of  the  list  of  sub- 
scribers, and  a  committee  was  promptly  established  at  Turin, 
which  soon  made  its  activity  felt  in  the  Dioceses  of  Turin, 
Chambery,  Annecy,  Nice,  Pignerol,  etc.5  Then  the  different 
countries  in  turn  became  interested  in  the  Society.  Belgium 
did  not  long  delay  her  entrance  into  the  work  and  began  her 
magnificent  annual  liberalities  by  a  donation  of  497  francs 
in  1825.  Italy  began  in  1827  with  a  contribution  of  288 
francs.  Next  came  Germany  with  her  donation  of  358  francs. 
In  the  same  year,  Switzerland  gave  896  francs.  The  British 


2.  Annales,  t.  I,  fasc.  pp.  3-6. 

3.  LOUVET,  op.  cit.,  p.  2a;  Annales,  t.  II,  pp.  79-82. 

4.  Annales,  t.  I,  fasc.  p.  4. 

5.  Annales,  t.  V,  p.  31. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith        111 

Isles  began  their  regular  contributions  in  1836.  Portugal  and 
Holland  came  next  in  1837.  In  1839,  the  United  States,  Spain 
and  Austria  sent  in  their  first  donations.  In  1840,  South 
America  began  its  contributions.6  By  this  time  300  bishops 
had  raised  their  voices  in  its  favor.  Finally,  as  we  have  said, 
Pope  Gregory  XVI,  by  the  Encyclical  Letter  of  1840,  placed 
the  Society  in  the  rank  of  Institutions  common  to  Christen- 
dom.7 

It  was  during  these  latter  years  that  the  Bishop  Flaget 
went  to  Europe  and  undertook  the  memorable  voyage  which 
permitted  half  of  France  to-  see  and  hear  the  envoy  of  the 
Sovereign  Pontiff,  preaching  his  holy  crusade  of  prayers  and 
alms.  Flaget  had  passed  more  than  forty  years  in  the  Mis- 
sions; he  knew  the  innumerable  needs  of  the  churches;  he 
was  able  to  appreciate  the  services  which  the  Society  for  the 
Propagation  of  the  Faith  had  already  rendered,  and  the  let- 
ters which  the  associates  of  the  Society  had  received  from 
him  were  all  filled  with  testimonies  of  his  lively  gratitude. 
He  had  been  in  Europe  for  one  year  and  his  reputation  had 
already  attained  great  prominence.  Each  of  his  acts,  each 
of  his  words,  was  clothed  with  authority.  It  would  have  been 
difficult  to  have  found  a  preacher  better  fitted  to  recommend 
the  society  which  embraced,  in  its  solicitude,  all  the  Missions 
of  the  two  worlds.  The  men  who,  with  the  assent  of  the 
Sovereign  Pontiff,  directed  his  excellent  Society,  hastened  to 
claim  the  cooperation  of  this  venerable  bishop.  They  profited 
by  his  stay  in  Rome  to  address  a  humble  appeal  to  the  Pope, 
and  this  appeal  met  with  complete  success.  Gregory  XVI  had 
more  than  once  given  to  the  Society  the  most  flattering  marks 
of  his  paternal  esteem.  He  understood  the  intentions  of  the 
Bishop  of  Bardstown,  and  Flaget  himself  penetrated  the  heart 
of  the  Pontiff,  and  found  there  the  will  to  second  his  own 
views.  Returning  to  France,  Bishop  Flaget,  with  the  sim- 


6.  GUASCO,  op.  cit.,  in  the  Correspondant,  t.  284,  p.  1022,  Sept.  25, 
1921. 

7.  Annales,-*-.  XLIV,  p.  162. 


112         The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

plicity  of  a  child  and  his  customary  devotion,  placed  him- 
self at  the  disposal  of  those  who  had  claimed  his  services.8 

In  a  first  journey  through  France  the  American  prelate 
visited  twelve  dioceses:  Le  Puy,  Clermont,  Moulins,  Nevers, 
Bourges,  Limoges,  Tulle,  Cahors,  Montauban,  Rodez,  Albi  and 
Saint-Flour.  Then  his  failing  health  obliged  him  to  seek  repose 
in  his  own  family  circle.  Having  returned  to  Clermont  on  the 
20th  of  March,  1838,  he  departed  on  June  6,  and  visited 
Valence,  Viviers,  Montpelier,  Toulouse,  Auch,  Aire,  Bayonne, 
Tarbes,  Pamiers,  Perpignan,  Carcassonne,  Nimes,  Avignon, 
Aix,  Marseilles,  Frejus,  Digne  and  Gap — eighteen  dioceses  in 
all.  He  returned  to  Lyons  on  October  6,  and  after  a  repose 
of  some  few  days,  again  set  out  on  the  29th  of  the  same 
month.  This  time  he  was  to  visit  Grenoble,  Belley,  Autun, 
Saint-Claude,  Besangon,  Annecy,  Saint  Jean  de  Maurienne, 
Turin,  Asti,  Alexandrie,  Genoa,  Savona,  Albenga,  Vintemille, 
Nice  and  Chambery. 

It  was  proposed  to  Bishop  Flaget  to  visit  the  North  of 
France,  but,  for  reasons  which  we  shall  shortly  explain,  he 
was  obliged  to  limit  his  journeys.  After  all,  to  travel  through 
forty-six  dioceses,  notwithstanding  the  burden  of  seventy-five 
years,  was  rather  a  test  for  the  strength  of  a  venerable  man. 
In  the  beginning,  he  visited  in  each  of  the  dioceses,  six,  eight, 
ten  or  fifteen  parishes,  preaching  everywhere,  and  complying 
with  the  desires  of  seminaries  and  religious  communities  to 
hear  him,  such  was  his  zeal  that  his  time  and  strength  were 
matters  of  secondary  importance.  In  most  of  the  dioceses, 
especially  in  France,  he  continued  to  visit  the  principal  cities 
and  their  institutions.  Continually  preaching  and  traveling, 
great  fatigue  finally  overtook  the  good  bishop ;  but  it  became 
sweet  in  his  eyes  when  he  recalled  the  origin  of  his  mission, 
for  he  was  working  under  the  obedience  to  the  Pope. 
,  However,  it  is  impossible  to  sketch  in  detail  the  great 
results  of  his  journeys.  Crowds  gathered,  wherever  he  went. 
All  wished  to  see  and  to  hear  him.  His  speech,  however,  was 


8.  DESGEORGE,  Mgr.  Flaget,  Eveque  de  Bardstown  et  Louisville,  pp. 
115,  et  seq.,  Paris,  1855. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith        113 

simple  and  familiar ;  but  the  saintly  old  man  could  not  appear 
in  a  pulpit  without  preaching  a  sermon  by  his  simple  pres- 
ence alone.  His  visits  were  like  a  continual  mission.  No  one 
could  estimate  the  services  he  rendered  to  the  Society.  Today 
his  name  is  held  in  veneration  by  its  members,  as  he  said  so 
often  from  the  pulpit:  " Everyone  admires  this  mite  of  the 
poor,  this  cent  each  week,  which  after  having  received  from 
God  the  power  of  miracles,  goes  across  the  seas  to  pay  the 
ransom  of  captives,  to  furnish  traveling  expenses  to  the  mis- 
sionaries, to  build  churches,  to  found  seminaries,  and  to  pro- 
duce other  marvels  which  permit  the  infant  and  the  aged, 
the  infirm  and  the  unfortunate,  to  believe  themselves  to  be 
apostles,  for  all  this  good  is  the  work  of  their  faith  and  of 
their  charity."  At  the  moment  when  Bishop  Flaget  began 
his  visitation,  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 
was  far  less  known  than  it  is  today.  Some,  indeed,  were 
asking  if  the  alms  which  came  into  its  treasury  always  went 
to  the  destination  publicly  announced.  Others  still  enter- 
tained doubts  whether  the  extent  of  the  distress  which  ham- 
pered the  Missions  overseas,  was  as  great  as  was  pictured. 
But  all  these  uncertainties  were  soon  removed,  and  it  is  to 
Bishop  Flaget 's  eternal  credit  that  he  helped  to  dispel  these 
doubts.  Everywhere  the  faithful  became  interested  in  a 
Society  which  had  already  been  so  fruitful  and  which  was 
called  to  still  greater  things.9 

Soon  its  work  was  established  upon  a  larger  and  more 
solid  basis,  and  every  one  considered  it  an  honor  to  offer  his 
humble  tribute  of  prayers  and  alms  to  the  work.  In  some 
cities  its  progress  surpassed  all  hopes,  to  such  an  extent  that 
the  Bishop  of  Bardstown,  passing  through  Montpelier  two 
months  after  his  first  meeting,  had  the  happiness  of  finding 
there  a  thousand  more  Associates. 


9.  PIOLET,  La  France  au  Dehors,  Les  Missions  Catholiques  Fran- 
gaises  au  XIX  Sieclc,  Paris,  1900.  At  Turin  the  King  Charles  Albert 
wished  to  receive  him  at  his  table.  A  letter  from  Ct.  Vt.  Gaitter,  dated 
Paris  22  Juillet  1835,  describes  Flaget 's  audience  with  the  King  and 
Queen  of  France.  This  letter  was  found  in  the  Archives  of  Saint 
Sulpice,  Paris. 


114         The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

The  immense  good  which  Bishop  Flaget  was  thus  able  to 
accomplish  for  the  Society,  as  well  as  the  religious  devotion 
which  he  stimulated  in  Europe,  was  but  one  aspect  of  his 
saintly  life.10 

Benedict  Joseph  Flaget  was  born  at  St.  Julien,  France, 
November  7,  1763.  He  was  the  youngest  of  three  sons.  At 
the  age  of  two,  he  was  left  an  orphan,  and  a  pious  aunt  took 
care  of  him  and  his  brothers,  devoting  herself  assiduously  to 
bringing  them  up  piously,  bestowing  on  them  the  blessing  of 
a  Christian  education.  He  attended  the  college  and  later  the 
seminary  at  Clermont,  the  latter  being  then  in  charge  of  the 
Sulpicians.  He  joined  the  Congregation  of  St.  Sulpice  and 
after  his  ordination  to  the  priesthood,  he  was  sent  to  the 
Seminary  at  Nantes,  and  later  to  that  at  Angers,  in  the 
capacity  of  professor  of  theology.  When  the  French  Revolu- 
tion broke  out,  it  threatened  to  bring  about  the  utter  destruc- 
tion of  religion,  and  the  clergy,  both  regular  and  secular, 
were  openly  persecuted.  Those  who  had  the  courage,  as  almost 
all  of  them  had,  to  refuse  the  odious  Constitutional  Oath  were 
ruthlessly  massacred  or  forced  to  fly  for  their  lives.  Father 
Flaget,  acting  under  the  advice  of  his  superiors  resolved  to 
devote  his  life  to  the  American  Missions  and  embarked  for 
America  towards  the  close  of  the  year  1791.  In  the  fall  of 
1792  Father  Flaget  was  sent  by  Bishop  Carroll  to  Vincennes. 
There  he  labored  with  indefatigable  zeal  for  more  than  two 
years.  His  zeal  soon  operated  a  thorough  change  in  the  relig- 
ious aspect  of  the  town.  Toward  the  close  of  the  year  1794, 
Father  Flaget  was  recalled  to  the  East  by  Bishop  Carroll  and 
placed  on  the  staff  of  Georgetown  College.  His  superiors, 
however,  appointed  him  to  the  Island  of  Cuba  with  a  view  to 
establishing  there  a  college  and  a  seminary.  About  the  year 
1801,  Father  Flaget  was  recalled  to  Baltimore,  to  take  a 
professorship  in  St.  Mary's  College.  He  continued  in  this 
situation  for  nine  or  ten  years  until  he  was  elevated  to  the 
See  of  Bardstowii.  He  arrived  at  Bardstown  in  June,  1811, 


10.  HERBERMANN,  The  Sulpicians  in  the  United  States,  p.  157,  New 
York  1916;  Cf.  BERTRAND,  Billiotheque  Sulpicicnne,  p.  182,  Paris." 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith        115 

remaining  there  until  1841,  when  the  Holy  See  transferred 
his  See  to  Louisville.  There  he  remained  until  his  death  in 
1850.  For  more  than  half  a  century  the  story  of  his  life 
forms  an  integral  and  a  very  important  part  of  that  of  the 
Catholic  Church  in  the  United  States,  of  which  he  was  so 
conspicuous  an  ornament.  "His  episcopacy  stretches  through 
a  much  larger  period  than  that  of  any  other  American  pre- 
late; and  he  has  justly  merited  the  title  awarded  to  him  by 
general  consent — of  'Patriarch  of  the  American  Hierarchy.' 
A  prominent  trait  in  the  character  of  Bishop  Flaget  was  his 
zeal  for  the  salvation  of  souls.  To  secure  this  object,  he  spared 
uo  labor  and  was  ready  'to  spend  and  to  be  spent.'  This 
was  the  subject  upon  which  he  most  delighted  to  address  his 
clergy,  in  his  soul-stirring  appeals  replete  with  unction,  which 
all  well  remember.  This  was  the  engrossing  thought  which 
supported  him  amongst  the  multiplied  and  protracted  hard- 
ships of  his  episcopal  career;  which  urged  him  on  from  one 
extremity  to  the  other  of  his  vast  diocese ;  embracing  for 
many  years,  the  entire  West  and  Northwest  from  the  34th 
degree  of  north  latitude  to  the  Lakes;  a  territory  now  com- 
prising ten  flourishing  dioceses.  To  save  a  soul  redeemed  by 
Jesus  Christ,  or  to  prevent  the  commission  of  a  single  mortal 
sin,  he  deemed  an  object  worthy  of  every  privation  and  suffer- 
ing, even  unto  the  endangering  sacrifice  of  life  itself.  The 
spiritual  welfare  and  salvation  of  his  flock  engaged  his  anxious 
attention  by  day  and  often  flitted  across  his  mind  in  the 
visions  of  the  night.  This  was  a  favorite  subject  of  his  con- 
versation with  his  friends  and  it  was  that  for  which  he  prayed 
most  frequently  and  most  fervently,  especially  at  the  holy 
altar."11 

To  Bishop  Flaget,  therefore,  goes  the  credit  of  having 
accomplished  more  than  any  single  prelate  for  the  growth 
and  development  of  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the 
Faith.  His  activity  in  its  behalf  in  France,  during  that  early 
epoch  of  its  existence,  when  French  prelates  themselves  failed 


11.  The  Metropolitan  Catholic  Almanac  and  Laity's  Directory  1851, 
pp.  50-61. 


116         The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 


to  realize  the  immense  possibilities  of  such  an  organization 
with  its  universal  appeal  and  its  universal  power  for  good, 
has  placed  him  almost  in  the  ranks  of  its  founders. 

After  a  century  of  existence  the  Society  can  boast  of  a 
development  second  to  none  among  the  Catholic  institutions 
which  make  an  appeal  to  the  faithful  of  the  world  for  the 
sake  of  the  Gospel.  France  has  always  held  the  place  of 
honor  in  the  total  contributions.  Germany,  Italy,  Belgium, 
Great  Britain,  Switzerland  and  all  the  nations  of  Europe, 
even  unfortunate  Poland,  are  found  on  its  lists.  North 
and  South  America,  Africa,  the  infant  Churches  of  Asia  and 
of  Oceania  also  sent  in  their  modest  tribute  of  their  neophytes. 
In  a  word,  all  the  children  of  the  Church  are  thus  united 
in  the  Apostolate  and  cooperate  by  their  offering  in  the  prop- 
agation of  the  Gospel.12 

We  have}  now  to  see  in  a  graphic  way  the  scale  of  these 
contributions  during  the  past  century  (1822-1918)  : 

RECEIPTS    OF    THE    SOCIETY    FOE    THE    PROPAGATION 

OF  THE  FAITH 
From   Its  Foundation  until   1918,   Inclusive 


Total  Receipts:     450,846,600   fr. 
Of  This  Sum  the  Following  Countries  Have  Contributed 

France     278,022,485  fr. 

United   States    32,305,473 

Italy     30,783,713 

Germany    25,487,346 

Belgium    23,582,361 

Great   Britain 15,013,707 


Holland 

Spain    

Switzerland     

Argentine   Republic 

Mexico     

Canada    

Portugal    

Austria    

Africa    

Chile    

Malta  and  Gozzo   . . 
Luxemburg     


5,946,306 
5,678,348 
5,670,413 
4,629,811 
3,653,795 
3,074,654 
2,644,862 
2,358,600 
2,120,990 
1,751,459 
1,532,266 
1,336,510 


12.  LOUVET,  op.  cit.y  p.  3a,  1894. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith        117 


Central  America    . . , 

Oceania    , 

Asia    

Uruguay    

Brazil    

Peru     

Turkey  in  Europe  . 
Russia  and  Poland   , 

Hungary    

Scandinavian  States 

Greece    , 

Colombia    

Venezuela    , 

Monaco    

Guiana     , 

Ecuador     , 

Bolivia     , 

Paraguay     

R/oumania     

Bulgaria    


1,045,793  fr. 
855,379  " 
759,412  " 
526,566  " 
498,489  " 
271,126  " 
261,060 
204,905 
176,157 
154,174 
129,825 

80,181 

68,371 

61,066 

52,034 

48,660 

32,181 

12,461 
8,079 
3,540 


Arranged  by  periods  of  ten  years  the  figures  of  the  receipts 
of  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith,  are  indicative 
of  the  Society's  growth.  In  the  following  table  it  will  be 
seen  that  the  Society  has  not  ceased  to  progress  although  this 
rate  of  increase  had  diminished  in  a  notable  manner  from 
1872  to  1891 : 


From  1822  to     1831  S.P.F.  Reed.    1,807,091  fr. 


1832  " 
1842  " 
1852  " 
1862  " 

1872  " 
1882  " 
1892  " 


1841 
1851 
1861 
1871 

1881 
1891 
1901 


11,732,983 
33,446,335 
45,516,139 
49,780,830 
60,033,164 
66,030,291 
66,832,650 


Increase      9,925,791  fr. 
21,713,351  «" 
12,069,803  < 
4,264,701  < 
10,252,333  < 
5,997,127  < 
802,359  < 


The  two  periods  from  1862  to  1871  and  from  1882  to  1891 
during  which  the  growth  of  the  Society  slackened  consider- 
ably, correspond  to  the  creation  of  Peter's  Pence  and  to  the 
religious  crises  of  the  Church  of  France,  during  which  time 
the  charity  of  the  faithful  was  solicited  for  the  works  of  local 
interest.  The  practical  disappearance  of  this  increase  during 
the  period  between  1892  and  1901  was  due  chiefly  to  the 
marked  financial  depression  which  affected  Europe  as  well  as 
America.  In  1906  came  the  separation  of  the  Church  and 
State  in  France,  and  hence  local  charities  made  incessant 
demands  upon  the  charity  of  the  faithful.  During  the  last 


118         The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

period' from  1912  to  1921  the  World  War  could  not  fail  to 
have  a  detrimental  influence  upon  the  offerings  made  to  the 
Society. 

It  will  not  be  without  interest  to  see  exactly  what  part 
each  of  the  Catholic  nations  has  taken  in  the  contributions 
made  to  the  total  budget  of  the  Apostolate.  There  are,  in  this 
detailed  resume  of  the  Society,  encouragements  for  some 
nations,  regrets  for  others  and  lessons  for  all. 


From  1822  to  1831  France  Gave 

"     1832  "   1841  " 

1851  " 

1861  " 

1871  " 

1881  " 

1891  " 


"  1842  " 

"  1852  (t 

11  1862  " 

«  1872  " 

"  1882  " 


I.  —  FRANCE 

(1822-1892) 

}ave     1,764,696  fr. 

8,025,928  " 

Increase 

6,261,221  fr. 

19,064,863  " 

t  ( 

11,038,834  " 

27,833,660  " 

tt 

8,768,797  " 

34,501,034  " 

i  i 

6,667,374  " 

40,549,771  " 

ft 

6,048,736  " 

42,331,209  " 

tt 

1,781,438  " 

It  is  evident  that  Catholic  France,  the  birthplace  of  the 
Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith,  has  made  it  a  point 
of  honor  to  guard  her  rank  of  eldest  daughter  of  the  Church 
since  she  alone  has  always  furnished  two-thirds  of  the  budget 
of  the  Apostolate.  Since  1822,  the  date  of  its  foundation,  the 
Society  has  not  ceased  to  make  progress  in  France,  even  after 
the  loss  of  the  two  dioceses  of  Alsace  and  Lorraine,  or  even 
during  the  ten  years  between  1882  and  1891  when  the  Church 
in  France  was  crippled. 


II. — ITALY 

(1827-1892) 

From  1827  to  1831  Italy  Gave    1,128  fr. 

1832  "  1841  "  1,268,233  « 

1851  "  5,460,396  " 

1861  "  5,687,035  " 

1871  "  3,918,759  " 

1881  "  3,227,920  " 

1891  "  3,912,589  " 

Italy  ranks  second,  after  France;  at  the  beginning,  Italy 
made  a  splendid  showing  and  seemed  to  promise  much  for  the 


1832  " 
1842  " 
1852  " 
1862  " 
1872  " 
1882  " 


Increase  1,267,105  fr. 

"  4,192,162  " 

"  226,639  " 

Decrease  1,768,276  " 

"  690,388  " 

Increase  684,669  " 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith        119 

future.  But  since  1860,  the  political  revolutions  of  which  it 
has  been  the  theatre  have  produced  a  decrease.  After  having 
attained  in  1858  the  figure  of  844,447  francs,  Italy  fell  in 
1891  to  about  350,000  francs.  In  1891,  there  were  about 
150,000  Associates  in  Italy. 

III. — GERMANY  AND  AUSTRIA-HUNGARY 
(1827-1892) 

From  1827  to  1831  Germany  Gave  5,125  fr. 

"  1832  "  1841  "  "  779,014  "  Increase  773,888  fr. 

"  1842  "  1851  "  "  2,554,560  "         "  1,775,546  " 

"  1852  "  1861  "  "  2,713,889  "         "  159,328  " 

"  1862  "  1871  "  «  2,458,734  "  Decrease  255,155  " 

"  1872  "  1881  "  "  6,153,431  «  Increase  3,694,697  " 

"  1882  "  1891  "  "  7,472,606  "         "  1,319,174  " 

The  different  states  of  Germany  were  backward  in  joining 
the  work,  but  after  1870,  the  increase  is  apparent.  In  the 
beginning  Austria  wished  to  form  a  group  apart,  and  on 
April  15,  1829,  it  instituted,  as  we  have  seen,  the  Leopoldine 
Society,  organized,  like  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the 
Faith,  into  groups  of  ten,  the  average  of  its  annual  receipt 
before  1890  amounted  to  about  40,000  florins  (100,000  fr.), 
which  were  applied  exclusively  to  the  German  Missions  of  the 
United  States.  A  few  years  later  Bavaria  followed  this  ex- 
ample. It  had,  however,  commenced  well  and  from  1843  the 
receipts  of  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  reached  232,748  fr. 
That  year,  according  to  the  order  of  its  Prince,  it  retired  from 
the  Society  so  that  it  too  might  found  its  local  Society. 

For  a  long  time  Prussia  and  the  Protestant  States  of 
Germany  were  the  only  ones  to  support  the  great  French 
Society.  There  was  even  a  slight  decrease  from  1862  to 
1871 ;  but  after  this  period  the  receipts  grew  in  rapid  pro- 
portion and  neither  the  violences  of  Kulturkampf  nor  the 
numerous  societies  in  Germany  which  made  demands  upon  the 
charity  of  Catholics,  have  been  able  to  affect  the  movement  in 
favor  of  the  Society.  It  is  but  just  to  mention  that  the  annex- 
ation of  the  two  dioceses  of  Metz  and  of  Strasbourg  have 
been  the  means  of  including  in  the  receipt  of  Germany  up 


120         The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

to  1891  an  annual  average  of  300,000  fr.  In  1891  the  sub- 
scriptions from  Germany  and  Austria-Hungary  represented 
about  270,000  subscribers  or  Associates. 

IV. — BELGIUM 


(1825-1892) 
From  1825  to  1831  Belgium  Gave        32,042  fr. 


1832  " 
1842  " 
1852  " 
1862  " 

1872  " 
1882  " 


1841 
1851 
1861 
1871 

1881 
1891 


715,678 
1,751,426  " 
2,511,104  " 
3,007,008  " 
3,621,890  " 
3,640,949  " 


Increase 
n 


638,636  fr. 

1,035,747 

759,678 

495,903 

614,881 

19,059 


In  proportion  to  the  number  of  its  inhabitants,  Belgium 
ranked  immediately  after  France.  In  1891,  out  of  35,000,000 
Catholics,  France  gave  4,200,000  fr.  or  0.12  centimes  per 
person.  Belgium  out  of  5,500,000  Catholics,  gave  330,000 
fr.  or  0.06  centimes  per  inhabitant.  No  other  Catholic 
State  has  so  high  a  proportion.  Since  1825,  the  Society  for 
the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  has  increased  its  progress  in 
Belgium,  although  the  rate  has  been  slow.  From  1880  to 
1890  this  progress  was  almost  stationary. 


V. — GREAT  BRITAIN 
(1833-1892) 

From  1833  to  1841  G.  B.  Gave      562,885  fr. 


1842  " 
1852  " 
1862  " 
1872  " 
1882  " 


1851 
1861 
1871 

1881 
1891 


1,768,144 
2,420,456 
1,596,066 
1,698,479 
1,722,905 

'       Increase 

(             tt 

1       Decrease 

'       Increase 

i             i  ( 

1,205,259  fr. 
652,311  " 
824,389  " 
102,413  " 
24,425  " 

In  1833,  Great  Britain,  entered  for  the  first  time  into  the 
receipts  of  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  with  the  modest 
offering  of  51  fr.,  but  the  movement  rapidly  took  possession 
and  in  1858  Great  Britain  reached  the  figure  of  545,923  fr. 
This  figure,  however,  it  never  again  reached  until  1891.  After 
the  year  1860,  a  decrease  continued  to  make  itself  felt  and  the 
annual  average  was  lowered  150,000  fr. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith         121 


ave         9,291  fr. 
573,115  " 
1,851,615  " 
1,451,713  " 
1,253,791  " 
2,635,960  " 

Increase 
tt 

Decrease 
« 

Increase 

563,823  fr. 
1,278,500  " 
399,901  " 
197,922  " 
1,382,168  " 

VI. — NORTH  AMERICA 
(1833-1892) 

From  1833  to  1841  N.  A.  Gave 
"     1842  "   1851       " 
"     1852  "   1861       " 
"     1862  "   1871       " 

11     1872  «   1881       " 
"     1882  "   1891       " 

North  America  includes  the  Dominion  of  Canada,  the 
United  States,  Mexico  and  the  Antilles.  It  was  only  after 
1840  that  Canada  and  the  United  States  entered  into  the 
Propagation  of  the  Faith.  During  a  long  time  the  largest 
offerings  came  from  Canada.  Mexico  seemed  to  be  ignorant 
of  the  existence  of  the  Society  and  the  United  States  was 
only  acquainted  with  it  through  the  abundant  assistance 
which  it  received  from  the  Society  to  organize  its  young 
churches.  Nevertheless,  the  receipts  showed  a  continuous  and 
progressive  increase  until  about  1860.  Little  by  little  Canada 
withdrew  from  the  Society  to  devote  itself  exclusively  to  its 
own  Missions.  The  United  States  remained  stationary,  re- 
serving all  of  its  resources  for  the  development  of  local  works. 
Mexico  began  to  be  seriously  interested  in  the  Society  when 
delegates  went  there  in  1889,  to  make  it  known  and  under- 
stood. It  has  been  the  same  in  Cuba  and  in  the  West  Indies, 
and  in  all  the  Latin  countries. 

The  contributions  of  North  America  in  1891  was  as 
follows : 

Dominion   of  Canada    21,457  fr. 

United  States 201,519  fr. 

Mexico    334,880  f r. 

Antilles     23,592  f  r. 


Total 581,499  fr.18 

In  the  first  seventy  years,  the  United  States  received  from 
the  Society  28,364,725  fr.,  and  in  1918,  the  contributions  from 
the  United  States  for  the  first  time  equalled  the  total  it 
received  from  the  Society. 


13.  Ut  supra,  pp.  3a-8a,  Louvet  has  compiled  these  statistics  from 
the  Compte  Eendu  in  the  Annales. 


122         The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

Of  the  total  collections,  $100,341,625.33,  the  United  States 
contributed  $10,983,452.06.  In  1920,  the  total  receipts  were 
$3,414,647,  of  which  $1,622,569  were  offerings  from  American 
Catholics.14 

For  a  long  time  the  Central  Councils  of  the  Society  sought 
to  develop  their  work  in  the  United  States  and  many  Arch- 
bishops and  Bishops  of  America  encouraged  them  to  do  so. 
On  March  12,  1891,  they  asked  the  Very  Rev.  Father 
Chevalier,  to  take  up  the  work.  The  real  beginning  of  the 
growth  of  the  Society  in  the  United  States  came  as  a  result 
of  the  action  taken  by  the  Fathers  of  the  Third  Plenary  Coun- 
cil of  Baltimore,  in  1884.  When  the  Council  of  Baltimore 
convened,  the  Society  had  given  more  than  22,000,000  fr. 
and  had  only  received  3,000,000  f r.,  in  return.  At  this  Council 
the  cause  of  the  Society  was  upheld,  and  it  was  decided  that 
a  collection  should  be  made  each  year  in  all  the  Churches 
in  the  United  States,  part  of  which  would  be  reserved  to  the 
Negro  and  Indian  Missions  and  part  to  the  Propaga- 
tion of  the  Faith.  But  progress  was  slow  at  first,  and  in 
1891,  Father  Chevalier  had  to  resign  from  the  work  of  mak- 
ing the  Society  known  in  the  United  States.15 

On  October  20,  1891,  the  President  of  the  Council  of 
Paris,  M.  Hamel,  wrote  to  Cardinal  Gibbons,  petitioning  him 
to  make  an  appeal  to  the  Archbishops  of  the  United  States 
in  favor  of  the  Society.  A  few  weeks  later  at  an  assembly 
of  the  Archbishops  of  the  United  States,  Archbishop  Chapelle 
received  a  letter  from  Cardinal  Gibbons  asking  him  to  sup- 
port the  request  of  the  Council  before  the  Archbishops  who 
met  at  St.  Louis  at  the  end  of  November.  On  April  13,  1892, 
Cardinal  Gibbons  informed  the  Council  that  he  had  spoken 
to  the  Archbishops  of  the  United  States  assembled  at  St.  Louis 
in  the  interest  of  the  Society.  His  letter  was  full  of  senti- 
ments of  benevolence  and  sympathy  for  the  Society. 


14.  Cf.  Statistics  of  the  total  contributions  in  the  Appendix  of  this 
work. 

15.  GUASCO,  Note  sur  les  Origines   de   la   Delegation  de   I'Oeuvre 
de  la  Propagation  de  la  Foi,  specially  compiled  at  my  request;  ANDRE, 
Amerique    (Etats   Unis  d')    Catholicisme,  in  VACANT,   Distionnaire  de 
Theologie  Catholique,  p.  1073. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith        123 

During  the  summer  of  1892,  Mgr.  Ireland,  while  visiting 
Paris,  was  consulted  by  M.  Guasco.  The  Archbishop  of  St. 
Paul  immediately  took  an  interest  in  the  project  and  suggested 
that  the  Council  address  the  Sulpicians  of  Baltimore  to  find 
a  representative  for  the  work.  Meanwhile  the  World's  Fair 
was  about  to  open  in  Chicago,  and  the  Council  decided  to 
participate  in  the  exposition  with  its  publications  in  different 
languages  and  its  maps.  Father  Durin,  of  West  de  Pere, 
Wisconsin,  was  appointed  to  represent  the  Society  at  Chicago 
as  a  delegate  of  the  Council  during  the  time  of  the  exposition. 
The  President  of  the  Council  of  Paris  made  a  proposal  to  the 
Superior  General  of  St.  Sulpice  on  a  subject  of  the  action 
which  the  Society  proposed  to  begin  in  the  United  States  and 
received  a  favorable  answer.  In  the  meeting  of  May  8,  1896, 
the  President  announced  to  the  Central  Council  of  Paris  that 
the  Superior-General  of  the  priests  of  St.  Sulpice  had  left 
for  the  United  States,  provided  with/  a  letter  signed  by  the 
President  in  the  name  of  the  Council,  appointing  him  to  come 
to  an  understanding  with  Cardinal  Gibbons  in  order  that  the 
priests  of  St.  Sulpice  be  empowered  to  promote  the  Society 
of  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  in  the  United  States,  as  dele- 
gates of  the  Council.  On  November  1,  1896,  His  Eminence 
Cardinal  Gibbons  addressed  to  the  President  of  the  Council  a 
letter  in  which  he  evinced  the  favorable  disposition  which  the 
American  Archbishops  had  manifested  in  their  annual  meet- 
ing.; they  approved  without  reservation  that  a  priest  of  St. 
Sulpice  be  the  delegate  of  the  Central  Council.  The  Arch- 
bishops were  all  of  the  opinion  that  the  Seminary  of  St. 
Sulpice,  called  St.  Mary's,  at  Baltimore,  should  be  the 
center  of  the  Society  in  the  United  States.  Father  Mag- 
men  accepted,  but  being  unable  to  devote  himself  to  the  details 
of  the  administration  of  the  Society,  took  as  an  Associate, 
Father  Granjon.  When  Father  Granjon  became  Bishop  of 
Tucson,  Father  Magnien  appointed  Mgr.  Freri  as  a  successor. 
At  the  end  of  1903,  on  the  proposal  of  Mgr.  Freri  and  after 
the  approval  of  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Gibbons,  the  transfer 
of  the  center  of  the  Society  from  Baltimore  to  New  York  was 
decided. 


124         The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

Cardinal  Gibbons'  letter  of  November  1,  1896,  reads  as 
follows : 

I  am  quite  late  in  replying  to  the  letter  which  you  have  kindly  sent 
me  by  the  Superior  General  of  St.  Sulpice.  I  pray  you  to  believe  that 
it  is  due  neither  to  forgetfulness  nor  negligence  on  my  part.  The  Society 
for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  has  shown  itself  in  the  past  and  still 
shows  itself  so  generous  with  regard  to  the  missions  of  the  United 
States  that  it  is  for  us  not  less  a  duty  than  a  pleasure  to  endorse  your 
noble  designs  to  give  to  this  admirable  Society  all  the  extension  it  can 
require.  In  the  annual  meeting  of  the  American  Archbishops  which 
recently  took  place  at  Washington  I  submitted  to  my  venerable  col- 
leagues your  wishes  and  your  proposals.  I  am  happy  to  announce  to 
you  that  they  all  accepted  them  with  eagerness:  they  have  approved 
without  any  restriction  that  a  priest  of  St.  Sulpice  should  here  be  the 
delegate  of  your  Central  Council.  The  members  of  this  Society  direct 
three  very  important  seminaries  and  could  have  much  influence  over 
the  clergy.  We  were  all  of  the  opinion  that  the  Seminary  of  St. 
Sulpice,  otherwise  called  St.  Mary's,  at  Baltimore,  should  be  the  center 
of  the  Society  in  this  country  and  we  leave  to  the  intelligence  and  to 
the  zeal  of  him  who  shall  be  chosen  by  your  delegate,  the  details  of  the 
organization  and  the  determination  of  the  means  to  be  taken  to  develop 
the  Society.  The  Superior  General  of  St.  Sulpice,  during  his  visit  at 
Baltimore,  spoke  to  me  of  the  Society  in  very  sympathetic  terms  and 
said  that  he  would  do  all  in  his  power  to  give  to  that  one  of  his  confreres 
who  shall  be  chosen  the  means  to  accomplish  his  work  for  the  greater 
glory  of  God,  and  in  relation  to  the  needs  of  the  missions.  I  am  sure 
that  the  Bishops  animated  with  the  same  dispositions  as  their  Metro- 
politan will  favor  the  extension  of  the  Society  in  their  dioceses.16 

The  Society  was  incorporated  under  the  laws  of  the  State 
of  Maryland  with  the  following  directors : 

His  Eminence  Cardinal  Gibbons,  Archbishop  of  Baltimore. 
Most  Reverend  M.  A.  Corrigan,  Archbishop  of  New  York. 
Most  Reverend  W.  H.  Elder,  Archbishop  of  Cincinnati. 
Most  Reverend  P.  J.  Ryan,  Archbishop  of  Philadelphia. 
Most  Reverend  J.  Ireland,  Archbishop  of  St.  Paul. 
Very    Reverend    A.    Magnien,    SS,    D.    D.,    President,    St.    Mary's 
Seminary. 

Reverend  G.  W.  Devine. 
Reverend  C.  B.  Corrigan. 
Reverend  T.  J.  Broderick. 
Reverend  C.  F.  Thomas." 


16.  A  copy  of  this  letter  was  sent  to  me  by  M.  Guaseo.- 

17.  FRERI,  op.  cit.,  p.  13,  1900. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith         125 

On  July  13,  1900,.  the  President  of  the  Central  Council  of 
Paris,  wrote  to  Father  Magnien  as  follows : 

I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the  receiption  of  your  letter  of 
June  21  informing  us  that  Mgr.  Granjon,  Bishop  of  Tucson,  until  this 
time  charged  with  the  Society  of  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  in  the 
United  States,  has  departed  for  his  diocese.  We  have  expressed  to 
Mgr.  Granjon  all  our  gratitude  for  the  zeal  with  which  he  was  willing  to 
work  for  the  development  of  so  important  a  Society  and  one  now  more 
useful  than  ever.  The  Council  with  all  its  heart  reaffirms  the  praises  which 
you  have  spoken  of  the  truly  admirable  activity  which  he  has  directed 
with  remarkable  intelligence  of  the  needs  of  the  Society  for  the  Propa- 
gation of  the  Faith,  a  perfect  prudence,  and  a  complete  submission  to 
our  directions,  conditions  essential  for  the  good  functioning  of  a  very 
complicated  administration.  We  received  with  joy  the  successor  of  Mgr. 
Granjon,  Dr.  Freri,  well  persuaded  that,  chosen  by  you,  and  being  pre- 
sented to  the  Council  under  your  patronage,  he  will  fulfill  all  the  de- 
sired conditions  to  continue  to  manage  well  the  Apostolic  campaign  so 
happily  commenced  by  the  Respectable  Superior  of  the  Seminary  of  St. 
Mary  of  Baltimore  and  of  the  Bishop  of  Tucson.18 

As  detailed  by  Monsignor  Freri,  the  funds  contributed  by 
the  Catholics  in  the  United  States  for  the  Society  were  as 
follows : 


Tear 

TQOO 

Contributed 
$  

Year 
1846 

Contributed 
886.40 

Year 
1870 

Contributed 
8  053  69 

1Q9Q 

1847 

810.67 

1871 

13  265  43 

1894 

1848 

807.00 

1872 

16  684  97 

1Q9<i 

1849 

709.12 

1873 

9  713  53 

1826 

1850 

765.00 

1874 

10  274  14 

1827 

1851 

600.00 

1875 

9  477  22 

1828 

1852 

16,026.41 

1876 

13  173  60 

1COQ 

1853 

7,842.13 

1877 

11  459  14 

1830 

1854 

11,337.32 

1878 

10,852.64 

1831 

1855 

7,235.91 

1879 

7,128.66 

1832 

1856 

10,328.65 

1880 

11,686.85 

1833 
1834 

6.00 

1857 
1858 

13,713.12 
30,612.18 

1881 
1882 

20,845.67 
41,601.36 

1835 

1859 

37,730.81 

1883 

26,731.69 

1836 

1860 

12,303.68 

1884 

15,609.33 

1837 

1861 

8,529.02 

1885 

17,456.84 

1838 

1862 

8,644.31 

1886 

14,786.54 

1839 

1863 

8,255.13 

1887 

42,964.18 

1840 
1841 
1842 
1843 
1844 
1845 

1,023.10 
824.00 
875.49 
816.99 
15.30 
1,655.30 

1864 
1865 
1866 
1867 
1868 
1869 

8,291.22 
7,462.43 
10,361.17 
9,341.73 
10,209.52 
13,162.89 

1888 
1889 
1890 
1891 
1892 
1893 

52,759.22 
41,687.82 
^9,092.76 
40,303.85 
35,907.58 
44,753.58 

18.  A  copy  of  this  letter  was  also  sent  me  by  M.  Guasco. 


126         The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 


1894 

25,065.68 

1905      157,057.98 

1916 

1895 

34,707.39 

1906      185,287.71 

1917 

1896 

32,855.54 

1907      193,054.44 

1918 

1897 

34,196.31 

1908      193,122.36 

1919 

1898 

55,511.79 

1909      220,082.78 

1920 

1899 

69,402.49 

1910      268,314.08 

1921 

1900 

71,229.35 

1911      281,234.38 

1901 

77,000.00 

1912      366,460.59 

1902 

85,408.44 

1913      440,004.31 

1903 

92,503.48 

1914      477,427.94 

1904 

156,942.92 

1915      503,619.08 

VII.  —  HOLLAND 

(1837-1892) 

From 

1837  to  1841  Holland  Gave   25,367  fr. 

(  i 

1842  "  1851   "     "    819,377  "  Increase 

(  ( 

1852  "  1861   "     ll     916,461  "    " 

tt 

1862  "  1871   "     "    847,677  "  Decrease 

a 

1872  "  1881   "     "   1,052,259  "  Increase 

tt 

1882  "  1891   "     "   1,122,767  "    " 

500,223.27 

759,346.70 

971,888.48 

1,372,896.13 

1,315,752.62 

1,245,403.53 


$10,983,452.06 

n 


794,010  fr. 
97,083  " 
68,784  " 

204,582  " 
70,502  « 

Save  for  a  slight  downward  trend  from  1862  to  1871, 
Holland  has  progressed  moderately  and  continually.  Out  of 
1,647,000  Catholics  in  1891,  including  Luxembourg,  there 
were  38,460  Associates. 

VIII. — SWITZERLAND 


(1827-1892) 


From  1827  to  1831  Switzl'd  Gave 


1832  " 
1842  " 
1852  " 
1862  " 

1872  " 
1882  " 


1841 
1851 
1861 
1871 
1881 
1891 


3,336  fr. 
163,636  " 
446,821  " 
476,909  " 
484,056  " 
593,307  " 
810,365  " 


Increase 


160,000  fr. 

283,185  " 

29,987  " 

7,247  " 

109,250  " 

217,058  " 


Progress,  in  the  work  of  the  Society,  while  swift  at  the 
beginning,  slowed  down  considerably  in  Switzerland  from 
1852  to  1870.  The  crisis  of  Swiss  radicalism,  and  the  interest 
taken  in  Peter's  Pence,  easily  explain  this  decline.  In  the 
years  between  1872  and  1891,  the  movement  again  quickened 
and  the  country  approached  the  figure  of  100,000  fr.  a  year. 


19.  PRERI,  op.  cit.,  in  the  Annals,  vol.  LXXXV,  p.  68,  1922. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith         127 

IX. — PORTUGAL 

(1837-1892) 
From  1837  to  1841  Portugal  Gave 


"  1842 

"  1852  " 

"  1862  " 

"  1872  " 

"  1882  " 


1851 
1861 
1871 

1881 
1891 


93,573  fr. 
336,530  " 
232,684  " 
336,434  " 
493,848  " 
482,908  " 

Increase 
Decrease 

Increase 

<  t. 

Decrease 

242,956  fr. 
103,845  " 
103,749  " 
157,414  " 
10,940  " 

From  1872  to  1891,  the  receipts  from  Portugal  varied 
between  40,000  and  50,000  f r.  Of  a  total  Catholic  population 
of  4,300,000,  there  were  about  18,000  Associates. 


X. — SOUTH  AMERICA 


(1840-1892) 

From  1840  to  1841  S.  A.  Gave       2,894  fr. 

"  153,138  " 
"  261,306  " 
"  384,692  " 
"  447,195  " 
"  334,942  " 


1842  "  1851 

1852  "  1861 

1862  "  1871 

1872  "  1881 

1882  "  1891 


Increase 


Decrease 


150,244  fr. 
108,167  " 
123,386  " 
62,502  " 
113,256  " 


The  republics  of  South  America,  a  prey  to  the  plague  of 
secret  societies  and  to  the  intrigues  of  politicians,  scarcely 
permitted  any  stability  to  Catholic  societies.  Although  the 
Catholic  population  surpassed  40,000,000  souls,  the  Society 
for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  has  developed  very  slowly. 


XI.—  SPAIN 
(1839-1892) 

From  1839  to  1841  Spain 

Gave  33,274  fi 

1  <  1842 

1851   " 

"  167,661 

«  1852 

1861   " 

"  158,020 

"  1862 

1871   " 

"  110,142 

"  1872 

1881   ll 

"   178,198 

"  1882 

1891   " 

<  '  706,039 

Increase  134,386  fr. 

Decrease  9,641  " 

"  47,787  " 

Increase  68,056  " 

"  527,840  " 

If  the  noble  and  Catholic  Spain,  ranks  in  the  eleventh 
place  after  all  the  Catholic  States,  the  fault  is  not  with  her 
but  with  the  policies  of  her  Government,  which  proscribed 
the  Society  in  its  infancy  (1840).  Until  the  year  1880,  the 
native  land  of  St.  Francis  Xavier,  the  patron  of  the  Society, 


128         The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

was  represented  by  an  annual  contribution  of  four  or  five 
thousand  francs.    In  1890,  it  had  surpassed  100,000  fr. 


XII — LEVANT 


(1827-1892) 


From  1827  to  1831  Levant  Gave 


1832 
1842 
1852 

1862 

1872 
1882 


1841 
1851 
1861 
1871 
1881 
1891 


Increase 

46,674  fr. 

i  ( 

141,492  " 

t  1 

77,599  " 

Decrease 

56,406  " 

Increase 

8,255  " 

n 

29,424  " 

498  fr. 
47,102 
188,894 
266,494 
210,088 
218,343 
247,768 

Under  "the  name  Levant  are  grouped  in  the  Society's 
budget  the  contributions  of  the  Island  of  Malta,  of  European 
Turkey,  of  Roumania,  of  Greece,  of  the  Islands  of  the  Arch- 
ipelago. All  these  countries,  with  the  exception  of  Malta, 
being  still  in  the  condition  of  Missions,  the  progress  of  the 
Society  has  been  necessarily  slight. 


XIII. — AFRICA 

(1857-1892) 


From  1857  to  1861  Africa  Gave     30,399  fr. 

"      1862  "    1871  "  "       325,471  " 

"      1872  "   1881  "  "       308,885  " 

"      1882  "    1891  "  "       326,374  " 


Increase 
Decrease 
Increase 


295,071  fr. 
16,585  " 
17,489  " 

Africa,  the  land  of  the  Missions,  could  offer  to  the  Apos- 
tolate  little  but  its  prayers  and  its  sufferings. 


XIV.— OCEANIA 

(1843-1892) 

From  1843  to  1851  Oceania  Gave  502  fr. 

"     1852  "    1861       "  il  31,189  "  Increase  30,687  fr. 

"      1862  "    1871       "  "  50,311  "                "  19,121  " 

"      1872  "    1881       "  "  104,170  "                "  53,858  " 

"      1882  "    1891       "  "  152,639  "                "  48,469  " 

The  contributions  of  Oceania  are  furnished  by  Australia, 
by  New  Caledonia,  by  the  Sandwich  Islands  and  the  Mar- 
quises Islands.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  the  Philippines, 
with  their  4,000,000  excellent  Catholics,  were  not  represented 
in  1891. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith        129 

XV.  —  RUSSIA  AND  POLAND 
(1837-1892) 

From  1837  to  1841  Territory  Gave 


1842  " 
"  1852  " 
"  1862  " 
«  1872  " 
"  1882  " 


1851 
1861 
1871 

1881 
1891 


ave       6,102  fr. 
1     129,757  " 
<     124,539  " 
1       13,557  « 
<       22,760  " 
<       20,697  " 

Increase 
Decrease 

Increase 
Decrease 

123,654  fr. 
5,217  " 
110,982  "• 
9,202  " 
2,062  " 

Up  to  1891  Poland  had  given  300,000  fr. 

XVI.— ASIA 

(1848-1892) 

From  1848  to  1851  Asia  Gave  1,035  fr. 

"     1852  "   1861     "  "  30,236  "  Increase 

"     1862  "   1871     "  "  84,902  "               « 

"     1872  "    1881     "  ll  107,308  "               " 

"     1882  ^   1891     "  <(  89,467  "  Decrease 


29,183  fr. 
54,666  " 
22,406  " 
17,841  " 


In  Asia  are  included  Asiatic  Turkey,  India,  Cochin-China 
and  China.  In  1891  their  contributions  were  still  small  being 
the  alms  of  the  poor,  it  is  particularly  dear  to  the  heart  of 
God.20 

Even  missionary  countries  gave  the  Society  a  good  number 
of  Associates.  To  implant  a  fruitful  missionary  spirit  in  its 
beneficiaries,  it  has  been  the  constant  practice  of  the  Society 
to  ask  help,  even  from  those  who  are  receiving  it.  Little  by 
little,  as  the  need  for  assistance  diminishes,  the  country  in 
which  the  Faith  has  been  established  and  preserved  increases 
its  support  to  the  continued  extensions  of  the  Missions  of 
the  Church.  The  readiness  to  train  and  send  out  missionaries 
so  that  others  may  enjoy  they  spiritual  blessings,  is  perhaps 
the  best  guarantee  of  the  genuine  establishment  of  the  Faith 
in  any  locality.  How  far  the  purpose  of  the  Society  in  this 
direction  is  effective  may  be  seen  by  the  report  published 
each  year  in  the  June  number  of  the  Annales  of  the  help  con- 
tributed even  by  countries  in  which  the  Church  is  as  yet 
scarcely  settled.21 


20.  LOUVET,  op.  cit.,  pp.  3a-8a. 

21.  FRERI,  op.  cit.,  p.  9,  1912. 


130        The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE  SUCCESS  OF  THE  SOCIETY 

In  a  chapter  devoted  to  the  accomplishments  of  the  Society 
for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  during  the  past  one  hundred 
years,  the  chief  difficulty  is  to  keep  within  the  proportionate 
limits  which  this  subject  should  be  alloted  in  our  work.  Those 
accomplishments  are  of  so  universal  a  nature,  touching  as  they 
do,  the  apostolate  of  our  Holy  Faith,  Catholic  education  in 
its  various  branches,  welfare  work  in  pagan  and  civilized 
lands,  and  certain  incidental  fields  of  activity  in  which  the 
Society  takes  its  place  as  the  promoter  of  scientific  progress. 
To  give  the  cumulative  results  of  its  century  of  success  in 
Europe,  in  Asia,  in  Africa  and  in  the  Americas  in  anything 
like  a  worthy  manner  would  take  far  more  space  than  can 
be  spared  in  this  work,  which  is  of  a  general  historical  char- 
acter. Especially  is  this  true  for  the  history  of  the  Society's 
activities  in  behalf  of  the  Missions  of  the  United  States.  A 
glance  at  the  statistical  tables  at  the  end  of  this  chapter  will 
reveal  the  vastness  of  the  subject,  even  for  the  United  States. 
To  some  future  occasion  must  be  postponed  the  more  detailed 
story  of  the  Society's  success  in  this  country. 

Brunetiere  has  well  summed  up  the  accomplishments  of 
the  Society  in  the  Conclusion  which  he  wrote  to  the  well- 
known  work  on  the  history  of  the  Missions  compiled  by 
Piolet:  Les  Missions  Catholiques  Frangaises.  In  whatever 
part  of  the  world  the  missionary  has  gone  to  exercise  his 
apostolate,  he  writes,  he  has  labored  for  the  growth  and  spread 
of  civilization.  Everywhere  the  light  of  the  West  penetrates 
the  darksome  shadowlands  of  the  East,  family  life  is  bettered, 
savage  customs  are  obliterated,  slavery  is  driven  out,  and 
manners  are  softened  and  made  more  humane.  Surely  this, 
he  adds,  can  never  be  considered  a  heavy  burden  to  the  West, 
and  especially  to  Western  Catholics,  who  have  so  admirably 
aided  in  the  propagation  of  the  Gospel.1  It  is  quite  natural 


1.  PIOLET,  La  France  au  Dehors,  Les  Missions  Catholiques  Frangaises 
au  XIX  Siecle. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith         131 

that  Brunetiere  would  see  in  these  accomplishments  a  great 
boon  to  the  French  nation ;  since  France,  the  home  of  refine- 
ment, thus  carries  to  the  world,  sitting  in  darkness,  the  light 
of  our  modern  progress.  The  ''Vocation  of  the  Gentiles,"  as 
Fenelon  has  described  the  work  of  aiding  the  missionaries, 
has  been  one  that  has  always  appealed  to  the  Christian  heart ; 
and  so  it  is  that  the  great  French  Society  has  accomplished 
things  for  God  and  for  humanity  which  far  surpass  in  number 
and  in  quality  those  of  any  similar  organization  in  the  world. 

It  must  be  also  be  remembered  that  the  Society  for  the 
Propagation  of  the  Faith  does  not  exercise  any  jurisdiction 
in  the  training  and  placing  of  missionaries,  still  less  with 
the  internal  administration  of  the  Missions.  Its  only  aim 
is  to  invite  the  prayers  of  the  faithful  for  the  extension  of 
the  Church  and  to  create  a  fund  out  of  which  all  the  Missions 
may  receive  an  annual  subsidy  in  porportion  to  the  number 
of  workers  and  their  relative  needs.2  Ever  since  those  elo- 
quent words  of  M.  Benoit  Coste  at  the  foundation  of  the 
Society:  "We  are  Catholics  and  we  must  form  a  'catholic' 
society,"  that  is,  one  which  assists  the  Missions  of  the  whole 
world,  the  Society  has  always  made  it  a  principle  to  assist 
all  Catholic  Missions.  The  spirit  of  charity  which  animates  it 
knows  no  limit,  neither  does  it  exclude  any  people,  any 
country,  any  language,  from  its  assistance  •  so-called  Catholic 
Nations,  such  as  France,  Italy,  Austria  and  Spain,  are  how- 
ever excluded  from  these  allocations.8  After  the  example  of 
the  early  faithful,  the  Society  makes  collections  the  product  of 
which  it  divides  according  as  it  seems  most  useful  for  the 
good  of  the  souls.  Such  is  the  Society  for  the  Propagation 
of  the  Faith;  such  its  spirit  and  its  acts. 

Its  first  collection  in  1822  was  distributed  as  follows : 
one-third  went  to  New  Orleans,  one-third  to  Bardstown,  and 
one-third  to  the  Societe  des  Missions  fitrangeres  for  the 


2.  FRERI,  Propagation  of  the  Faith,  in  the  Catholic  Encyclopedia, 
vol.  XII,  p.  461. 

3.  Annales,  t.  XLIX,  pp.  157-160. 


132         The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

Orient.  In  1827  we  find  Africa  and  Oceania  (represented 
by  the  Sandwich  Islands)  included  in  the  apportionment  of 
the  missionary  funds.  Only  five  years  after  its  beginning 
the  Society  had  fulfilled  the  * '  catholic ' '  character  its  founders 
had  given  it.4 

To  speak  of  what  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the 
Faith  has  accomplished  is  to  speak  of  our  Missions  and  their 
results.  These  results  are  of  a  moral  and  religious  nature 
and  can  neither  be  counted  nor  measured.  By  this  very 
fact,  they  are  very  difficult  to  appreciate.  What  can  be 
said  of  these  results,  however,  will  give  at  least  a  partial 
satisfaction  to  those  interested  in  the  disbursements  of  the 
Society,  and  will  give  a  sufficient  reply  to  a  query  which 
one  often  meets  namely,  whether  our  foreign  missionaries 
lose  their  time,  their  efforts  and  the  funds  of  which  they 
dispose.6 

The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith,  whose 
activities  so  powerfully  aid  in  the  diffusion  of  the  Gospel, 
produces  first  of  all  results  of  evangelization,  properly  so 
called,  of  education  and  of  charity  and  renders  valuable  ser- 
vices to  science  and  to  civilization.6  "Since  the  beginning 
of  the  19th  century  what  is  the  progress  that  Catholicism 
has  made?  There  is  the  numeric  progress;  the  hierarchical 
progress ;  progress  in  works  of  benevolence  and  of  civilization ; 
in  influences  and  in  hopes,  often  bold,  which  at  times  the  facts 
themselves  surpass  in  the  most  extraordinary  manner.  But 
what  strikes  us  most  here  is  the  weakness,  and  the  unlikeliness 
of  the  means  by  which  this  progress  has  been  obtained.  Often 
the  means  appeared  so  opposed  to  their  ends,  according  to 
human  wisdom,  that  one  ought  rather  to  call  them  obstacles ; 
their  triumph  has  shown  us  visibly  the  finger  and  the  action 
of  God.  Let  us  cite  the  facts. ' ' 7 


4.  FRERI,  op.  cit.,  p.  10,  1912. 

5.  PIOLET,  Nos  Missions   et   Nos  Missionnaires,  p.   27,   Paris. 

6.  GASPARRI,    Letter    to   M.    Delmas,   Superieur   du    Seminaire   des 
Missions  Etrangeres,  in  La  Societe  des  Missions  Etrangeres,  Paris,  1919. 

7.  MIGNE,  Encyclopedia  Theologique,  Dictionnaire  des  Missions,  p. 
VIII,  Paris,  1863. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith        133 

In  the  300  Missions  of  Asia,  Africa  and  Oceania,  sup- 
ported by  the  Society  there  are  about  15,000  missionary 
priests.  In  seminaries  all  over  the  world,  laborers  eager, 
ardent  and  numerous,  are  being  prepared  for  the  apostolate. 
How  to  provide  for  the  expense,  of  their  ecclesiastical  forma- 
tion, of  their  voyages,  of  their  modest  support  on  the  Mis- 
sions— these  are  the  main  problems  of  the  Society.  In  the 
course  of  the  nineteenth  century,  a  number  of  Societies,  re- 
sponding to  this  necessity,  have  assisted  in  the  budget  of  the 
apostolate.  The  principal  Society  of  this  nature  is  of  course, 
the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith.  The  progress 
of  this  Society  up  to  the  present  has  been  phenomenal;  but 
few  persons,  perhaps,  even  among  the  Society's  most 
fervent  associates  have  an  exact  idea  of  these  needs;  that  is 
why  it  will  not  be  inappropriate  to  present  a  rapid  sketch 
of  them. 

A  good  index  of  the  growth  of  the  Apostolate  may  be 
found  in  the  remarkable  increase  in  the  personnel  during 
the  last  century.  In  1822,  the  harvest  was  great,  but  the 
laborers  were  few,  being  scarcely  1,000  in  all.  Today 
the  missionary  army  is  made  up  of  some  60,000  persons, 
15,000  of  whom  are  priests  and  religious,  4,000  teaching 
brothers  and  40,000  sisters,  not  to  speak  of  the  priests, 
brothers  and  sisters  native  to  the  regions  where  they  work, 
catechists  and  others  who  make  up  the  personnel  of  the  Mis- 
sion, and  the  laborers  among  the  Oriental  Rites.8  The  mis- 
sionary establishments  essential  for  the  activity  of  this  army 
of  missionaries  have  also  shown  a  proportionate  increase. 
From  1822  to  1922  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the 
Faith  received  from  all  sources  and  from  all  parts  of  the 
world  a  total  of  $100,341,625,  the  total  for  the  first  year  being 
but  $4,000.  Just  as  in  the  time  of  Christ,  "faith  cometh  by 
hearing, ' '  and  '  *  how  can  they  hear  without  a  preacher, ' '  so  the 
missionaries  are  the  principal  human  cause  of  conversions. 
The  Society  has  made  it  possible  for  missionary  orders  to 
accept  all  those  candidates  who  appear  fitted  for  the  life  of 


8.  FRERI,  op.  cic.,  in  Annals,  vol.  LXXXV,  p.  19,  1922. 


134        The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

an  evangelist.  To  the  gift  from  the  Society  which  assures 
the  personal  existence  of  numerous  apostles  it  added  annual 
allocation  for  the  Missions  themselves  which  vary  according 
to  the  resources  and  according  to  the  importance  of  these 
Missions. 

Besides  what  is  indispensable  for  the  life  of  the  missionary 
in  a  country  occasionally  deprived  of  resources,  which  they 
evangelize,  the  Society  must  support,  in  addition,  the  expense 
of  the  voyage  of  those  who  go  into  these  distant  regions  to 
aid  in  the  work,  to  replace  those  who  have  died,  to  supply 
the  insufficiency  of  others  whose  health  these  rude  labors  or 
an  unhealthy  climate  have  badly  undermined.  For  these  new 
auxiliaries  it  is  necessary,  as  for  the  first,  that  the  Society 
furnish  subsidies  with  the  aid  of  which  they  procure  clothing, 
books,  the  necessary  objects  of  worship,  and  utensils  of  all 
kinds  even  including  agricultural  implements  which  they  do 
not  find  in  these  countries.9 

The  funds  which  it  provides,  employed  with  wisdom  and 
economy,  permit  missionaries  to  create  and  sustain  these  relig- 
ious activities  and  works  of  general  interest,  either  educational 
or  charitable.  A  recent  writer,  in  analyzing  the  nature  of 
missionary  work,  emphasized  the  point  that,  in  addition  to 
the  spiritual  end,  the  Society  had  its  educational,  philan- 
thropic, social,  medical  and  economic  ends  or  purposes.  ' '  The 
problem, ' '  he  continues,  *  *  of  the  missionary  is  to  bring  civiliza- 
tion to  the  native.  The  next  problem  is  to  protect  the  native 
against  the  civilization  which  has  been  brought.  The  mis- 
sionary must  also  be  an  educator.  He  must  labor  to  develop 
the  character,  the  intelligence  and  the  opportunity  of  the 
native."10 

The  alms  of  the  Society  enable  the  missionary  to  open 
chapels,  seminaries,  schools,  orphanages  and  hospitals  and  to 
sustain  all  these  works  which  constitute  and  assure  the  de- 
velopment of  the  Mission. 


9.  L'Oeuvre  de  la  Propagation  de  la  Foi,  in  the  Annales,  t.  XLIX, 
p.  157. 

10.  MOORE,  The  Expansion  of  Christendom  and  the  Naturalisation 
of  Christianity  in  the  Orient  in  the  XIX  Century,  London,  1920. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith        133 

The  funds  of  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 
are  employed:  1,  for  the  support  of  the  missionaries;  2,  to 
bring  up  young  men  for  the  priesthood ;  3,  to  establish  schools ; 
4,  to  print  books  of  religion ;  5,  to  build  and  support  churches 
in  the  Missions;  6,  to  baptize  infidel  infants;  7,  to  buy  back 
Christian  children  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  pagans.  The 
Superior  of  the  Scminaire  de  Missions  Etrangcres,  M.  TAbbe 
Langlois,  at  the  beginning  of  the  Society,  expressed  this 
thought  as  follows:  "The  missionaries  .  .  .  and  native 
priests,  the  catechists,  the  students  of  seminaries  and  of  the 
colleges,  the  neophytes,  in  one  word  all  those  who  participate 
in  the  fruits  of  your  charity,  share  in  the  sentiments  of  our 
gratitude  and  force  themselves  to  attract  by  their  vows  and 
their  prayers  the  benedictions  of  heaven  on  all  the  members 
of  the  Association. ' ' 

In  the  century  that  is  passed  the  Society  has  brought 
each  year  new  proofs  of  the  solidity  of  its  organization,  of 
the  zeal  and  ability  of  its  councils  and  of  its  marvelous  utility. 
It  is  assuredly  one  of  the  most  efficacious  means,  of  which 
Providence  has  made  use,  for  the  development  of  the  Missions 
in  our  time.  It  has  founded  hundreds  of  new  churches,  has 
sent  to  every  part  of  the  world  thousands  of  priests,  to  estab- 
lish seminaries,  colleges,  schools,  hospitals,  orphanages  and 
multiply  the  number  of  neophytes.  What  it  began  in  1822,  it 
has  continued  to  maintain  and  develop.  The  assistance  which 
the  Society  has  accorded  to  the  Catholic  missionaries  is,  how- 
ever, far  below  that  which  the  Protestant  Church  gives  to  its 
Bible  Societies;  but  the  Catholic  missionary  lives  in  poverty 
and  very  little  is  necessary  for  his  personal  needs. 

In  the  strictly  religious  work  of  the  Missions,  the  personnel 
generally  consists  of  a  bishop  or  head  of  the  Mission,  of  a 
diocesan  and  religious  clergy.  The  necessary  expenses  in- 
volved in  training  and  supporting  this  personnel  in  the  whole 
world  are  met  by  the  alms  provided  by  the  Society.  Following 
the  example  of  his  Master,  the  missionary  must  learn  to  live 
amid  privations.  Nevertheless,  it  is  necessary  to  finance  his 


11.  LAUNAY,  op.  cit.,  t.  II,  p.  516. 


136         The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

education,  the  long  voyages  which  he  must  make  to  reach  his 
destination,  to  assure  him  his  daily  sustenance.12  At  certain 
points  it  is  seminaries  which  are  lacking ;  however,  it  is  very 
necessary  to  provide  for  the  perpetuation  of  the  priesthood 
wherever  a  native  clergy  is  possible;  and  the  Society  gives 
its  assistance  to  this  sacred  need.  If  persecution  should  break 
out  in  some  of  the  Foreign  Missions,  the  Society  must  make 
exceptional  allocations  to  that  place. 

The  establishments  which  are  indispensable  for  the  work 
of  the  Apostolate  are  churches,  chapels,  stations  for  public 
worship  and  instruction  and  presbyteries,  all  of  which  must 
be  built,  furnished  and  maintained. 

Education  constitutes  a  very  important  activity,  and  the 
missionaries  have  everywhere  done  much  for  education.  It 
is  by  education,  indeed,  by  the  formation  of  new  generations, 
that  a  country  is  transformed,  elevated  and  civilized  and 
changed  from  a  pagan  land  into  a  truly  Christian  people.13 

The  schools  and  educational  establishments  possess  a  par- 
ticular importance  since  in  many  lands  the  task  of  reclaiming 
adults  of  a  low  cultural  level,  whose  minds  are  obsessed  with 
superstitions  and  brutalized  by  crime,  is  a  well-nigh  impos- 
sible one."  The  personnel,  which  is  consecrated  to  this  edu- 
cational work,  consists  of  priests  who  devote  themselves  to 
education,  and  of  teaching  communities  of  brothers  and 
sisters.  Funds  must  be  provided  for  the  expense  of  this  per- 
sonnel, as  well  as  for  that  of  its  education  and  this  is  in  large 
part  provided  for  by  the  Society.  There  are  besides  many 
native  Sisterhoods  who  teach  Christian  doctrine  and  inspire 
an  affection  for  the  Faith  in  the  people.  These  pious  women 
need  convents  to  shelter  them  and  subsidies  for  their  works. 

This  assistance  is  also  given  to  the  colleges  and  board- 
ing schools.  Colleges  and  schools  of  all  kinds  must  be 
erected  and  maintained  and  monasteries  and  convents  must 
be  provided,  as  well  as  novitiates.  Three-fourths  or  four- 


12.  LOUVET,  op.  cit.,  p.  la. 

13.  PIOLET,  Nos  Missions  et  Nos  Missionnaires,  pp.  31-32. 

14.  KENNEDY,  Missions,  Catholic,  in  the  Catholic  Encyclopedia,  vol. 
X,  p.  376. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith         137 

fifths  of  the  whole  personnel  of  the  Missions  labor  in  the  field 
of  education.  Thirty  thousand  teachers  are  engaged  in  the 
work  of  education,  in  the  following  schools: 

Universities    2 

Colleges    125 

Seminaries    87 

Orphanages    304  , 

Schools    9,428 


Total     9,946 

The  number  of  students  in  1900  was  as  follows : 

Europe,    Missionary   Countries 10,927  Children 

Asia    272,544         " 

Africa    165,291 

America    52,615         " 

Oceania    16,900 

Total    518,277  Children15 

From  the  material  point  of  view,  the  following  facts  for 
1900  are  significant:  In  Africa  there  were  over  58  agricul- 
tural schools,  and  over  200  in  Asia,  where  children  were 
taught  to  work  in  the  gardens  and  the  fields.  When  they  were 
grown  up,  they  possessed  sufficient  instruction  to  know  how 
to  handle  tools.  Others  were  trained  in  the  workshops  gen- 
erally next  to  the  Mission,  and  became  carpenters,  joiners, 
farmers,  bricklayers,  bakers,  shoemakers  and  tailors. 

In  similar  establishments,  girls  were  trained  by  the  Sisters 
for  the  work  and  the  professions  suitable  for  their  sex.  Being 
at  once,  teachers  and  artisans,  catechists  and  cultivators,  the 
Sisters  and  Brothers  rapidly  raised  the  level  and  the  material 
situation  of  the  peoples  to  whom  they  ministered.16 

In  addition  to  the  ordinary  means  of  instruction,  a  press 
destined  to  provide  books  and  newspapers  were  necessary 
here  or  there,  for  they  were  indispensable  arms  with  which  to 
defend  religion  against  the  attacks  of  inimical  persons. 

There  was  hardly  a  Mission  in  which  it  was  not  necessary 
to  raise  and  instruct  the  children  of  idolatrous  parents,  to 


15.  PIOLET,  ut  supra,  pp.  32-33. 

16.  PIOLET,  ut  supra,  pp.  28-29. 


138         The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

redeem  slaves,  to  found  Christian  villages  in  these  infidel 
lands.  This  welfare  work  so  vitally  linked  with  missionary 
activity  demanded  a  personnel  similar  to  that  engaged  in  edu- 
cational activity. 

In  many  places  hospitals,  leprosaria,  homes  of  refuge, 
orphanages,  asylums  in  which  to  instruct  catechumens,  or 
agricultural  schools  or  other  kinds  of  establishments  were 
erected.  There  was  scarcely  a  Mission  which  was  without  dis- 
pensary to  which  the  natives  came  in  large  numbers  every  day 
to  ask  for  consultation  and  to  procure  remedies.  Orphanages 
were  built  in  which  to  receive  abandoned  infants,  to  give  them 
an  education  appropriate  to  their  future  needs  and  to  protect 
them  until  they  were  definitely  established  in  life.  The  number 
of  these  different  works  of  charity  was  very  large,  there  were 
655  such  institutions  in  Asia,  323  in  Africa,  13  in  Oceania, 
47  in  the  Missions  of  America ;  in  all  1,038."  A  large  amount 
of  money  was  required  to  finance  these  institutions  and  the 
greater  share  of  this  money  was  provided  by  the  Society  for 
the  Propagation  of  the  Faith.  At  times,  unforeseen  accidents 
occurred  such  as  fires,  floods,  extraordinary  famines,  wars  and 
their  disastrous  consequences,  periods  of  unemployment  which 
reduced  the  local  resources  of  the  Missions  and  for  the  moment 
compromised  their  existence.18  Far  from  being  able  to  support 
the  missionary  at  these  periods,  the  missionary  on  the  con- 
trary, had  to  look  elsewhere  for  aid,  and  it  was  chiefly  through 
the  assistance  of  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 
that  he  was  able  to  obtain  it. 

Apart  from  all  this  ecclesiastical  and  social  activity,  the 
Society  aids  the  missionary  in  the  important  work  of  civilizing 
the  people  to  whom  he  is  sent.  Local  superstition  and  tradi- 
tional prejudices  against  Christianity  have  to  be  driven  out  of 
the  hearts  of  these  pagans.  The  missionaries  give  to  their  cate- 
chumens a  consciousness  of  their  dignity.  They  put  them  in  a 
position  to  know  themselves,  to  discipline  themselves  and  to 
govern  themselves.  In  rendering  them  participants  in  the  life 


17.  PIOLET,  ut  supra,  p.  31. 

18.  L'Oeuvre,  etc.,  in  the  Annales,  t.  XLIX,  p.  159. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith         139 

of  the  Gospel  they  introduce  them  to  a  new  and  superior  life ; 
they  make  of  them  Christians.  They  deliver  the  oppressed; 
they  liberate  prisoners  and  thus  the  interests  of  civilization 
are  served.  In  whatever  part  of  the  world  they  exercise  their 
Apostolate,  the  progress  of  civilization  is  assured.  One  can 
find  more  than  one  proof  of  it  in  the  history  of  the  Missions, 
but  in  return  wherever  the  missionaries  establish  their  peace- 
ful empire  the  arts  of  the  West  follow  them;  everyday  life 
improves,  family  relations  are  more  firmly  established  or  are 
purified.19 

For  example,  the  natives  of  Oceania,  once  inveterate  can- 
nibals, have  today  become  peaceful  and  inoffensive  farmers. 
The  negroes  of  Africa,  among  whom  there  existed  neither 
marriage  nor  family,  nor  any  reverence  for  woman,  among 
whom  were  committed  unspeakable  cruelties  as  a  consequence 
of  superstition  or  of  passion,  are  now  united  in  marriage 
and  set  themselves  to  live  civilized  lives  in  established  villages, 
with  order  and  tranquillity.  Infanticide  has  rapidly  dimin- 
ished in  proportion  as  the  Society  of  the  Holy  Childhood 
developed.  Slavery  has  diminished  and  rapidly  disappeared. 
The  law  of  property,  public  morality,  Christian  decency,  the 
flower  and  safeguard  of  virtue,  respect  for  women,  for  chil- 
dren, for  the  aged,  have  developed  and  multiplied  under  the 
influence  of  the  missionaries  whose  work  was  made  possible  by 
the  funds  of  the  Society.20 

In  addition  to  these  three  main  divisions  of  missionary 
activities:  Religion,  Education  and  Charity,  other  incidental 
results  have  been  attained  through  the  cooperation  of  the 
Society.  The  spiritual  reaction  upon  the  donors  themselves  is 
one  very  important  incidental  result.  The  charity  and  zeal 
which  they  practice  in  behalf  of  their  less  fortunate  brothers 
has  no  little  influence  upon  their  own  spiritual  life.  An  in- 
stance of  this  is  found  in  the  revival  of  zeal  in  France  after  the 
apostolic  tour  of  Bishop  Flaget  in  1838.  The  layman  who 


19.  BRUNETIERE,   in   PIOLET,   Les   Missions   Catholiques   Frangaises 
au  XIX  Sitcle,  t.  VI,  pp.  496-497 ;  Cf .  La  Propagation  de  la  Foi,  in  the 
Annales,  t.  LXXVIII,  pp.  429-430. 

20.  PIOLET,  ut  supra,  pp.  28-29. 


140         The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

thus  participates  in  Apostolic  work  inevitably  becomes  a  better 
Catholic.  Through  its  publications,  the  Society,  has  been  pro- 
ductive of  much  good.  One  can  readily  imagine  the  number 
of  persons  whose  eyes  have  been  opened  and  whose  souls  have 
been  comforted  by  a  description  of  the  trials  and  sufferings 
willingly  supported  for  the  glory  of  God,  contained  in  these 
works.  Indirectly  too,  it  wins  apostles,  who  upon  reading  it 
become  inflamed  with  zeal  for  the  kingdom  of  God ;  both  men 
and  women  are  moved  to  go  forward  to  carry  the  good  tidings 
of  salvation  to  distant  lands.  Undoubtedly,  no  one  becomes 
an  apostle  without  a  divine  call ;  but  that  call  is  manifested 
by  exterior  signs  of  which  the  most  usual  is  example  in  the 
first  place,  seconded  by  a  knowledge  of  the  need  of  souls. 
Example  awakens  generous  emulation.  How  many  levites, 
how  many  priests  and  how  many  virgins  have  felt  their  souls 
moved  at  the  recital  of  the  work  of  missionaries,  and  abasing 
themselves  in  humility  and  prayer  have  arisen,  saying :  7,  too, 
wish  to  be  an  Apostle!  Nowhere  are  the  needs  of  souls  por- 
trayed in  livelier  and  more  pleasing  colors  than  in  the  letters 
which  fill  the  Annales.  As  an  eloquent  orator  has  said: 
' 'An  astonishing  and  glorious  fact  marks  the  close  of  the  cen- 
tury. Speculators  and  economists  laud  the  resources,  salu- 
brity and  charms  of  a  country ;  and  they  do  not  always  suc- 
ceed. The  publications  of  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  speak 
of  nothing  but  privations,  perils  and  struggles ;  the  more  they 
darken  the  picture,  the  more  they  kindle  the  zeal  for  Missions, 
especially  if  they  open  the  sombre  perspective  of  martyr- 
dom."21 

The  Blessed  Chanel,  ordained  priest  the  15th  of  July,  1827, 
named  assistant  at  Amberieux,  then  pastor  of  Crozot,  was 
ceaselessly  pursued  by  the  thought  of  the  Missions.  "I  read 
one  day  a  number  of  the  Annales  which  upset  my  soul.  I 
seemed  to  see  the  poor  islanders,  these  idolaters,  these  canni- 
bals, whom  the  demon  held  under  his  empire.  They  held  out 
their  arms  to  us, — I  seemed  to  hear  their  piercing  cries :  'Who 
will  dissipate  our  darkness?  Who  will  break  our  chains  of 


21.  FRERI,  op.  cit.,  p.  16,  1912. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith        141 

slavery  ?  Come  to  our  aid '. ' '  There  is  no  doubt  but  that  the 
reading  of  the  Annales  was  influential  in  the  development  of 
the  vocation  of  Blessed  Perboyre.  Theophane  Venard,  put 
to  death  for  the  Faith  in  Tonkin  on  February  2,  1861,  felt 
that  the  desire  to  be  a  missionary  was  born  within  him  while 
perusing  the  Annales  de  la  Propagation  de  la  Foi;  it  was  also 
the  same  with  Mgr.  Ridel  who  died  in  Korea :  "It  was  in  a 
humble  Breton  college  that  a  child  was  playing  by  his  mother 's 
side  when  he  beheld  in  her  hand  a  copy  of  the  Annales. 
'Mother,  are  there  stories  in  that  book?'  'Yes,  my  child, 
stories  of  missionaries. '  '  But  what  are  missionaries  ? '  *  They 
are  the  priests  who  go  far  away  among  the  savages  to  teach 
them  to  know  and  love  God,  to  save  their  souls  and  to  go  to 
Heaven.'  'Well,  then,  I  want  to  go  and  tell  them  myself  so 
that  they  will  come  with  us  to  Paradise. '  The  valiant  mother 
embraced  her  child:  'Poor  little  one,'  she  said,  'may  thy 
life  be  God 's. '  Some  years  later  the  son  of  the  Breton  woman 
entered  Korea.  In  1870  he  was  consecrated  Bishop  and  on 
June  28,  1884,  after  a  long  captivity,  the  confessor  of  the 
Faith  died  with  regret  that  he  had  not  been  able  to  shed  his 
blood  for  Jesus  Christ.  It  is  quite  possible  that  nearly  all 
those  who  have  been  put  to  death  for  the  Faith  since  1822 
had  in  some  way  or  another  received  aid  from  the  Society, 
and  insofar  as  it  has  aided  them  it  has  to  that  extent  partici- 
pated in  the  supreme  sacrifice  which  they  gladly  offered." 

The  labor  pf  the  missionary  also  has  its  patriotic,  economic, 
and  scientific  sides,  which  must  not  be  overlooked. 

The  patriotic  or  national  side  of  missionary  activity  is  a 
delicate  subject  to  discuss.  The  motto  of  the  American  College 
of  the  Immaculate  Conception  at  Louvain :  Missionarii  Patria 
Sancta  Mater  Ecclesia,  is  the  ideal  of  the  true  missionary. 
As  Bishop  Le  Roy  has  written :  ' '  Let  us  not  deceive  our- 
selves, God  is  neither  French,  Russian  nor  Spanish,  nor  Portu- 
gese nor  English  nor  German  nor  Italian,  but  He  makes  use 
of  that  nation  which  He  finds  to  be  best  equipped  to  carry  out 


22.  GUASCO,  op.  cit.,  pp.  30-31,  1904;  TISSOT,  L'Oeuvre  de  la  Prop- 
agation de  la  Foi  et  ses  Publications,  Discours  prononce  dans  I'Eglise 
Primatiale  de  Lyon  le  23  Mai,  1894,  p.  25,  Lyon,  1894. 


142         The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

His  work."  Many  French  writers  who  discuss  the  Missions 
have  indulged  in  a  certain  amount  of  boasting  regarding  the 
national  propaganda  carried  on  by  their  missionaries.  It 
would  be  hard  to  separate  the  missionary  from  his  nationality 
and  to  prevent  his  fatherland  from  profiting  from  his  labors.24 

But  other  great  services  are  those  which  the  missionaries 
have  rendered  to  science,  to  literature,  to  linguistics,  to  cartog- 
raphy, to  geography,  ethnography,  natural  history.  An 
enumeration  of  the  scientific  works  of  the  missionaries,  the 
discoveries  which  we  owe  to  them,  the  books  which  they  have 
published,  the  services  which  they  have  rendered  to  our 
voyagers  and  explorers,  the  lands  which  they  have  made 
known,  the  observatories,  etc.,  which  they  have  founded,  the 
maps  which  they  have  prepared,  leave  one  literally  astonished 
at  the  catalogue  of  progress  accomplished  by  the  missionaries. 

That  incomparable  collection,  the  Lettres  Edifiantes,  con- 
tains a  description  of  places  and  an  enumeration  of  natural 
curiosities  with  notices  of  botany,  zoology,  ethnography,  lin- 
guistics, historic  information,  analyses  of  local  superstition, 
traits  and  customs,  characteristic  anecdotes :  in  truth,  nothing 
is  lacking  which  could  contribute  to  the  more  precise  knowl- 
edge of  the  earth  or  of  man.28 

From  the  $100,000,000  which  this  Society  has  distributed 
to  the  Missions  throughout  the  world,  an  immense  good  there- 
fore has  resulted. 

For  all  these  indispensable  works  the  missionaries  receive 
an  annual  income  from  500  to  600  francs  together 
with  some  assistance,  more  or  less  uncertain,  which  is 
sent  by  their  families  or  by  their  friends  in  Europe.20  In 


23.  LE  ROY,  A  La  Fin  D'Un  Sieclc  in  the  Annales,  t.  LXXI,  p.  427. 

24.  BAUDRILLART,  Le  Papc  et  les  Interets  Francoises  dans  le  Monde, 
in  L'Gcho  de  Paris,  Feb.  14,  1921. 

25.  BRUNETIERE,  in  PIOLET,  Les  Missions  Catholiques,  etc.,  t.  VI, 
p.  491,  Paris,  1900. 

26.  Kennedy  in  his  article  on  the  Catholic  Missions  in  the  Catholic 
Encyclopedia  discredits  all  estimate^  of  the  total  financial  contributions 
for  the  support  of  the  missionaries  and  particularly  comparisons  between 
the  total  budget  for  Catholic  missions  and  that  of  Protestant  missions. 
Even  a  hazardous  estimate  may,  however,  enable  us  to  form  a  fair  idea 
of  the  poverty  of  our  missionaries,  and  for  this  reason,  is  useful. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith        143 

order  to  show  more  in  detail  the  income  of  each  missionary 
and  the  establishments  which  he  must  support  by  means  of 
it  a  few  quotations  will  be  given  from  authorities  on  this 
question :  Mgr.  Le  Roy  estimated  that  a  budget  of  7,000,000 
fr.  was  to  be  divided  among  70,000  missionaries  throughout 
the  world,  which  would  average  100  francs  per  year  to  each. 
These  revenues,  he,  says,  must  suffice  for  the  support,  the 
lodging,  the  voyages,  the  personnel,  church  construction,  ex- 
penses of  all  kinds,  including  expenses  for  pleasure.27  Louvet 
in  1891  estimated  the  budget  at  6,779,363  fr.  which  total  was 
divided  among  277  missions,  allowing  on  an  average  24,474  f r. 
to  each  mission.  From  this  must  be  taken  the  living  expenses 
of  the  Superior  of  the  Mission  and  the  missionaries  and  the 
same  for  native  priests  if  there  are  any,  also  the  support  of  the 
seminary  and  the  schools  of  the  Mission.  The  expense  of  the 
catechumenate,  the  salary  of  the  catechists,  etc.,  the  support 
of  churches,  chapels  and  other  establishments  of  the  Mission, 
the  support  of  hospitals,  refuges  and  other  establishments  of 
charity,  varying  according  to  the  place,  the  assistance  from 
poor,  persecuted  Christians,  must  likewise  be  provided.  These 
are  the  indispensable  works  of  each  mission.  Without  these 
works,  more  or  less  developed  according  to  the  locality,  it  is 
impossible  to  do  good  or  to  found  anything  permanent. 
Louvet  summarizes  the  material  needs  of  the  Missions  in  these 
words :  *  *  One  must  feed  the  apostolic  laborers,  build  churches 
in  which  to  celebrate  worship,  open  schools  for  the  instruction 
of  the  children,  found  and  support  thousands  of  works  of  the 
apostolate  and  of  charity."  For  example  the  following  is 
the  table  of  the  obligatory  expenses  of  the  mission  of  Saigon 
in  Western  Cochin  China  in  1891 : 

1)  Traveling  Expense  of  the  Vicar  Apostolic  and  49  Mis- 

sionaries       33,660  f  r. 

2)  Ecclesiastical   Retreats,   Time   in   Hospital   and  Voyages 

of    Missionaries    3,000  ' ( 

3)  Traveling  Expenses  of  44  Native  Priests 14,520  " 

4)  Expense  of  Ordination,  Chapels  for  Native  Priests  and 

Supply  of  Vestments    2,000  1 1 

5)  120  Scholarships  at  the  Seminary 18,000  ' l 


27.  LE  BOY,  Discours,  etc.,  in  the  Missions  Catholiques,  No.  1544, 
p.  la. 


144         The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

6)  Maintenance  of  the  Seminary  Buildings   4,000  " 

7)  120  Parish  Schools    24,000  " 

8)  Construction  of  New  Schools  and  Support  of  Others 6,000  " 

9)  40  Catechists,  Including  Voyages   10,000  < ' 

10)   Support  of   Churches,  New  Construction,   Assistance   to 

Catechumens    35,000  « < 


Total 150,180  fr. 

The  sum  of  150,000  fr.  is  strictly  necessary  in  order  to 
assure  the  functioning  of  the  present  work  without  founding 
any  new  works.28 

The  author  of  La  Societe  des  Missions  fitrangeres  desig- 
nates the  establishments  which  were  supported  by  the  Propa- 
gation of  the  Faith  and  the  Holy  Childhood  as  works  of 
general  interest,  either  charitable  or  educational ;  hospitals, 
homes  for  foundlings,  orphanages,  work  rooms,  schools ;  the 
construction  of  churches,  oratories  and  presbyteries.  *  *  Thanks 
to  their  labors,"  he  says,  "the  favorable  events  of  which  we 
have  spoken,  the  results  in  conversion,  in  works  of  zeal,  of 
education  and  of  charity  were  considerable."  Some  general 
statistics  will  throw  additional  light  on  the  disbursements  of 
the  Society : 

Personnel  and 

Establishments.  1822          1860  1917 

Missions  5  22  35 

Bishops  6  21  40  and  2  Archbishops 

Missionaries  27  230  1,234 

Native  Priests  135  300  1,043 

Seminaries  9  11  50 

Seminarians  250  400 

Christians  300,000     550,000     1,639,853 

For  1917  the  additional  statistics  were  3,268  catechists, 
6,839  European  and  foreign  sisters,  5,322  colleges,  boarding- 
schools  and  schools  with  2,594  children,  388  orphan  asylums 
with  16,598  children,  476  dispensaries  and  pharmacies,  and 
114  hospitals,  homes  and  leprosaries.  The  number  of  con- 
versions obtained  in  1913  was  31,903;  in  1914,  32,839;  in 
1916,  36,434;  in  1917,  29,331." 


28.  LOUVET,  op.  cit.,  pp.  8a-9a. 

29.  La  Societe  des  Missions  ttrangeres,  pp.  32-34,  Paris,  1919. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith        145 

In  order  to  enable  one  to  appreciate  the  happy  influence 
this  Society  has  exercised,  a  comparative  planisphere  of  the 
missions  in  1822  and  in  1885  has  been  prepared  by  the  direc- 
tors. The  distribution  of  Catholics  over  the  earth  is  also 
shown  by  another  map  for  the  year  1885,  but  the  meagre 
statistics,  especially  for  the  year  1822,  do  not  permit  a  satis- 
factory comparison.30 

How  many  churches,  schools  and  hospitals  have  been  built, 
how  many  new  Missions  have  been  made  possible  by  the 
generous  budget  provided  ? 

The  success  realized  in  the  Missions  has  gone  hand-in-hand 
with  the  progress  of  the  Church  in  these  nations,  and  has 
been  described  in  the  official  Notices  sur  VOeuvre,  etc.,  as 
follows  :81 


30.  WERNER- GROFFIER,   Atlas    des    Missions    Catholiques,    Fribourg, 
1886. 

31.  L'Oeuvre  de  la  Propagation  de  la  Foi,  Notice  Publiee  par  Les 
Conseils  Ccntraux  de  Lyon  et  de  Paris,  1898,  in  the  Appendicc,  Histoire 
Succinte  des  Missions  Au  Dix-Neuvieme  Siecle,  pp.  39-54;  L'Oeuvre  de 
la  Propagation  de  la  Foi,  Dix  Annees  d'Apvstolat  dans  les  Missions, 
1898-1907,  pp.  39-110.     The  results  of  the  Catholic  missions,  produced 
by  means  of  the   funds  which  the   Society  has   distributed,  have  been 
continually  chronicled  in  various  forms  in  the  Annales:  for  example,  the 
Nouvelles  des  Missions,  L'Annee  Apostolique,  La  Situation  des  Missions 
en  1822,  en  1840,  en  1844,  en  1849,  en  1878,  etc.,  the  histories  of  the 
missionary  societies :     Les  Peres  du  Saint  Esprit,  La  Societe  des  Missions 
fitrangeres  de  Paris,  La  Congregation  Beige   du   Cocur  Immacule   dff 
Marie,  La  Societe  des  Missions  Africaines  de  Lyon,  La  Congregation 
des  Lazaristes,  La  Societe  du  Verbe  Divin,  La  Societe  de  Marie,  Les 
Peres  Capucins,  Les  Freres  Mineurs,  Les  Oblats  de  Marie  Immaculee,  La 
Societe  Saint  Joseph  de  Mill  Hill,  L'Institut  Lombard  de  Milan,  Les 
Missionnaires  de  Saint  Frangois  de  Sales,  Les  Peres  Dominicains,  La 
Compagnie  de  Jesus,  Les  Peres  des  Sacres-Coeurs,  Les  Silesiens  de  Don 
Bosco,  Les  Missionnaires  du  Sacre-Coeur,  Les  Pretres  de  Saint  Sulpice, 
Les  Oblats  de  Saint  Franc. ois  de  Sales,  Les  Pretres  du  Sacre-Coeur  de 
Jesus,   La   Congregation   des   Passionistes.      The    monumental   work    of 
Louvet  gives  a  splendid  survey  of  the  progress  of  the  missions  in  the 
last  century  and  a  good  exposition  of  what  money  the  Society  has  placed 
at  the  disposal  of  the  missions  in  the  different  countries  and  continents. 
Only  a  laborious  study  of  many  years  would  reveal  what  an  important 
role  this  Society  has  played  in  the  success  of  Catholic  missionary  en- 
deavor.    And  this  study  could  only  be  made  from  the  letters  from  the 
chiefs  of  the  missions  in  the  archives  of  the  Society  in  Paris,  Lyons  and 
Fribourg. 


146         The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

EUROPE 

Due  to  the  Greek  schism  and  Protestantism,  which  in 
the  course  of  ages  have  come  to  shatter  the  unity  of  the 
Church,  and  to  tear  the  seamless  cloak  of  Christ,  a  large  part 
of  Europe  remained  to  be  reconquered  by  Catholicism.  The 
hierarchy  having  been  destroyed  wherever  heresy  was  domi- 
nant, these  unfortunate'  people  were  reduced  to  the  state  of 
Missions  and  the  Catholics  there  were  directed  by  Vicars 
Apostolic  who  were  dependant  upon  Propaganda.82 

ENGLAND  AND  SCOTLAND 

Three  great  facts  dominate  and  explain  the  marvelous 
progress  of  Catholicism  in  Great  Britain  during  ninety  years 
of  the  nineteenth  century :  the  emancipation  of  Catholics, 
the  ritualist  and  Pusey  movement,  and  the  reestablishment  of 
the  hierarchy,  first  in  England,  then  in  Scotland.  At  the  be- 
ginning of  the  last  century  oppressive  laws  weighed  heavily 
upon  the  Catholics  of  Great  Britain :  political  events  and  the 
strength  of  truth  which  imposed  itself  on  many  elevated  minds 
favored  their  abrogation.83  The  Catholic  religion  had  no  need 
of  the  protection  of  governments  for  its  life  and  prosperity ; 
on  the  contrary,  this  protection  is  often  fatal  to  it ;  liberty 
and  opportunity  alone  are  necessary.  In  1800  there  were  in 
England  and  Scotland  together  only  120,000  Catholics.  In 
1890,  1,690,000  Catholics.  In  1800  there  were  6  Vicars  Apos- 
tolic and  55  priests,  in  1890,  18  Bishops,  and  2,795  priests. 
The  Catholics  in  England  and  Scotland  in  1897  numbered 
1,865,000  distributed  in  3  archdioceses  and  18  dioceses.  In 
1800  there  were  only  two  or  three  educational  establishments 
on  the  Continent  which  the  French  Revolution  suppressed.  In 
1840  there  were  9  Catholic  colleges  in  Great  Britain.  In 
1880  there  were  in  England  23  Catholic  colleges  and  4  in 
Scotland  in  addition  to  600  parish  schools  having  118,000 
children.  In  1890  England  had  11  seminaries  and  800  stu- 


32.  LOUVET,  op.  tit.,  p.  3. 

33.  Ut  supra,  p.  25;  Cf.  WERNER-GROFFIER,  Atlas,  etc.,  p.  14,  1886; 
MIGNE,  Encyclopedic,  etc.,  Dictionnaire  des  Missions,  pp.  viii-ix. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith        147 

dents,  29  colleges  with  3,000  students,  Scotland  had  3  semi- 
naries with  84  students,  4  colleges  with  400  students.84  All  the 
works  of  Catholic  charity  also  developed  in  like  proportions. 
The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  greatly  aided 
the  Missions  in  England  and  Scotland  up  to  1860.  After  that 
period  it  continued  to  aid  them  though  in  more  restricted 
amounts.  In  1898  one  Vicariate  Apostolic  in  Wales  alone 
received  aid.  Ireland  has  also  enjoyed  a  favorable  place  in 
the  distribution  of  the  Society  during  long  years,  but  in  1898 
only  one  station  in  the  diocese  of  Ross  received  aid.85 

NORWAY,  SWEDEN  AND  DENMARK 

It  was  only  in  1868  that  the  laws  which  oppressed  the 
Catholics  in  Sweden  were  in  part  done  away  with  and  in 
1873  these  laws  were  again  modified  in  favor  of  tolerance. 
However,  from  1833  there  was  a  Vicariate  Apostolic  in  Nor- 
way and  Sweden  composed  of  300  Catholics,  all  foreigners  in 
the  realm.  In  1869  the  two  Missions  in  Norway  and  Sweden 
were  separated,  they  formed  in  1898  two  Vicarites  Apostolic. 
The  Vicariate  of  Sweden  numbered  nearly  1,300  Catholics 
and  that  of  Norway  1400.  From  the  year  1869  to  1897 
Sweden  received  from  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of 
the.  Faith  nearly  470,000  fr.  and  Norway,  during  the  same 
period,  nearly  830,000  fr.  Prior  to  1869  these  countries  re- 
ceived substantial  assistance  for  different  uses.  Up  to  June 
9,  1847,  harsh  laws  were  enforced  in  Denmark  against  the 
Catholics.  After  this  date  the  Church  of  Denmark  could  hope 
to  revive.  In  1898  Denmark  constituted  a  Vicariate  Apostolic 
with  several  thousand  Catholics.  The  Society  for  the  Propa- 
gation of  the  Faith  from  1869,  the  time  of  the  erection  of 
the  Prefecture  Apostolic,  to  1897,  the  Society  gave  it  more 
than  a  million  francs.88 


34.  LOUVET,    ut   supra,   pp.    31-33;    Cf.   GUASCO,    op.    cit.,   p.    62; 
GUASCO,  Cent  Ans  d'Apostolat  Catholique  dans  les  Missions. 
35~L'Oeuvre,  etc.,  p.  40,  1898. 
36.  Ut  supra,  p.  41,  1898. 


148        The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

GERMANY 

Louvet  says  that  in  the  North  of  Germany  at  the  beginning 
of  the  19th  century  there  were  about  6,000,000  Catholics.  In 
1890  their  number  was  12,767,000.  If  Germany  has  showed 
herself  generous  towards  the  Society  the  latter,  on  its  part, 
has  also  been  generous  with  its  subsidies.  In  1898  the 
Missions  of  Germany  still  received  important  subsidies  from 
the  Society.  In  1897  it  received  over  140,000  fr.37 

SWITZERLAND 

Persecutions  have  not  been  wanting  to  the  Catholic 
Church  in  Switzerland  during  the  19th  century  and  in  spite 
of  this  number  of  the  faithful  had  continually  increased.  The 
Catholics  formed  scarcely  a  third  of  the  population  in  1800, 
but  composed  two-fifths  of  it  in  1890.  In  1894  there  were 
1,169,000  Catholics  in  Switzerland.  In  the  distribution  of 
funds  the  Central  Councils  gave  the  missions  of  Switzerland 
47,000  fr.  in  1897.88 

EASTERN  EUROPE  AND  THE  BALKAN  PENINSULA 

For  seventy  years  the  Popes  have  maintained  diplomatic 
relations  with  the  Sultans,  and  the  Catholics  have  been  sub- 
missive subjects  of  the  Porte.  There  are  numerous  dioceses 
and  establishments  in  these  countries  aided  by  the  Society  for 
the  Propagation  of  the  Faith.  In  1897,  300,000  fr.  were  dis- 
tributed to  these  dioceses  by  the  Society.39 

ASIA 

In  the  Extreme  Orient  in  1822  the  Episcopate  was  com- 
posed of  12  Pontiffs  assisted  by  one  or  two  missionaries ;  two 
Bishops  for  India,  6  for  China  and  4  for  Indo-China.  The 
following  is  a  list  of  the  number  of  Catholics  in  Asia  in  1800 : 


37.  Ut  supra,  p.  41,  1898. 

38.  Ut  supra,  p.  42,  1898. 

39.  Ut  supra,  p.  42,  1898. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith        149 

Asia  Minor    381,000  Catholics 

Arabia   " 

India    475,000 

Indo-China    320,000 

Japan    ' ' 

Corea    6,000 


Total  for  All  Asia 1,369,000  Catholics40 

There  were  about  this  time  54,000  Catholics  in  Japan, 
720,000  in  China,  827,000  in  Indo-China,  1,628,000  in  India, 
3,419,000  in  all  Asia.  The  Hindu  peninsula  and  the  Island 
of  Ceylon  possess  26  Archbishops  or  bishops,  1200  priests,  and 
Indo-China,  China  and  Japan  possess  50  Vicars  or  Prefects 
Apostolic,  1400  priests.  The  Latin  Patriarchate  of  Jerusalem 
was  reestablished  in  1848.  There  were  only  two  priests  in 
the  Holy  Land.  Today  there  are  large  numbers  of  secular 
and  religious  priests.  The  Society  has  sent  the  Patriarchate 
more  than  2,000,000  fr.  from  1848  to  1898  exclusive  of  what 
was  given  directly  to  the  Island  of  Cyprus  and  to  the  Sem- 
inary of  St.  Anne  of  Jerusalem  for  the  Greek  "Melchites." 
This  seminary  has  received  318,000  fr.  from  the  Society  from 
time  of  its  foundation  up  to  1898.  More  than  1,200,000  fr. 
was  given  to  Archepiscopal  See  of  Smyrna ;  the  Lazarists  and 
the  Sisters  of  Charity  received  approximately  the  same  amount 
up  to  the  year  1898.  The  Apostolic  Delegation  of  Meso- 
potamia received  more  than  1,500,000  fr.  from  the  Society; 
the  Dominicans  have  received  1,300,000  fr.,  the  Capuchins 
have  received  900,000  fr.  and  the  Carmelites  390,000  fr.  It 
was  with  very  great  difficulty  that  Arabia  could  be  evangel- 
ized due  to  Mohammedan  fanaticism.  The  Society  has  given 
the  mission  of  Aden,  confided  to  the  Capuchins,  over  300,000 
fr.  At  the  beginning  of  the  last  century  there  were  in  India 
2  Archbishops,  2  Bishops,  2  Vicars  Apostolic.  The  Missions 
of  India  received  in  1897,  572,446  fr.  from  the  Society.  Indo- 
China  received  in  1897  about  the  same  amount  as  India  re- 
ceived. In  "Birmania,"  Siam,  Malacca  there  were  in  1800, 
1  Vicariate  Apostolic,  9  priests  and  9,800  Catholics.  In  1898 
there  were  5  Vicariates  Apostolic,  188  priests  and  94,000 


40.  LOUVET,  op.  cit.,  p.  16. 


150         The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

Catholics.  In  1800  there  were  3  Vicariates  Apostolic,  in 
Annam  and  300,000  Catholics.  In  1897  there  were  8  Vicars 
Apostolic,  261  missionaries,  481  native  priests  and  726,000 
Christians.  In  1898  Cambodge  had  1  Vicariate  Apostolic,  32 
missionaries,  19  native  priests  and  27,000  Catholics.  In  the 
middle  of  the  century  the  Mission  of  Borneo  was  reopened  and 
since  then  has  received  about  250,000  f r.  from  the  Society. 
The  Dutch  East  Indies,  after  having  been  sustained  by  the 
Society  for  many  years,  in  1898  received  only  small  subsidies. 
In  1800  the  number  of  Catholics  in  China  was  202,000  divided 
in  5  Missions.  In  1897  there  were  40  Missions  with  40  Bishops, 
697  missionary  priests,  394  native  priests  and  649,000  Catho- 
lics. The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  distributed 
in  1897  to  the  Missions  of  China  885,000  fr.  In  1846  Gregory 
XVI  reestablished  the  Vicariate  Apostolic  of  Japan,  but  the 
missionaries  could  only  be  restored  after  the  treaties  of  com- 
merce concluded  with  European  nations  in  1861.  The  Church 
of  Japan  was  divided  in  1898  into  4  Vicariates  with  4  Bishops, 
109  missionaries,  37  natives  priests,  more  than  52,000  Cath- 
olics. It  received  in  1897  143,000  f  r.  from  the  Society.  Korea, 
for  such  a  long  time  persecuted  with  violence,  in  1898  had 
1  Bishop,  31  missionaries,  3  native  priests  and  32,000  Catholics. 
The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  from  1832  to 
1898  has  distributed  to  it  about  13,000,000  fr. 

Leo  XIII  in  the  Encyclical  Christi  Nomen  which  is  quoted 
in  Chapter  V  appealed  to  this  Society  and  the  Schools  of  the 
Orient  for  funds  to  promote  the  work  of  uniting  with  Rome 
the  Greek  and  Oriental  Churches. 

The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  has  always 
come  to  the  aid  of  the  Apostolate  among  the  schismatic 
churches  of  the  Oriental  Rite  to  such  an  extent  as  its  resources 
will  permit.  Leo  XIII  asked  the  Central  Councils  to  cooperate 
in  aiding  him  to  realize  the  union  of  the  schismatic  Oriental 
churches  to  the  Roman  Church  and  for  the  Latin  establish- 
ments in  the  Levant  it  put  at  the  disposition  of  the  Pope  in 
1895,  300,000  fr.,  in  1896,  200,000,  in  1897,  200,000  fr.  About 
1,000,000  fr.  is  each  year  given  by  the  Society  to  aid  toward 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith        151 

union  with  schismatic  rites  and  for  the   prosperity  of  the 
Oriental  Churches  of  the  Uniate  Rite.41 

AFRICA 

In  1800  there  were  1,500  Catholics  in  Northern  Africa 
and  500,000  in  1898.  The  total  sum  sent  by  the  Central 
Councils  to  the  different  Missions  of  Northern  Africa  is  over 
7,000,000  fr.  In  1840  on  the  West  Coast  of  Africa  in  the 
diocese  of  St.  Paul  de  Loaiida  there  were  8  or  10  priests  and 
700,000  Catholics.  The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the 
Faith  has  given  several  million  francs  to  this  part  of  Africa. 
The  Vicariate  of  Senegarnbia  alone  received  over  1,300,000 
fr.  The  allocations  made  by  the  Society  to  the  Missions  of 
South  Africa  have  been  very  liberal.  The  Vicariate  of  Cape 
Occidental  with  the  Prefecture  Centrale  has  received  about 
1,000,000  fr.  since  its  foundation  and  that  of  Cap  Est  more 
than  800,000  fr.  The  sums  accorded  by  the  Society  to  South 
Africa  have  amounted  to  many  millions  of  francs.  Eastern 
Africa  received  in  1897  over  130,000  fr.  from  the  Society. 
Central  Africa  was  receiving  on  an  average  250,000  fr.  per 
year  in  1898.  Madagascar  in  1897  received  139,980  fr.  and 
Port  Victoria  received  a  regular  allocation  from  the  Society ; 
other  Missions  received  aid  irregularly.42 

OCEANIA 

In  1800  Australia,  Tasmania  and  New  Zealand  did  not 
have  a  single  Catholic  priest.  In  1898  the  Catholics  formed 
a  third  of  the  total  population.  In  1898  the  Cardinal  Arch- 
bishop of  Sydney  was  at  the  head  of  20  dioceses.  The  Church 
of  Australia  with  the  diocese  of  Hobart  in  Tasmania  received 
more  than  3,000,000  fr.  from  the  Society.  In  1898  only  rarely 
were  establishments  in  Oceania  supported  by  the  Society,  but 
subsidies  destined  for  the  voyages  of  missionaries  or  sisters 
were  provided  by  the  Society.  New  Zealand  received  the  first 


41.  L'Oeuvre,  etc.,  pp.  42-48,  1898. 

42.  Ut  supra,  pp.  48-50,  1898. 


152         The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

Catholic  missionaries  in  1838.  In  1898  the  Ecclesiastical 
Province  of  Wellington  had  three  suffragan  dioceses  and  a 
Catholic  population  of  about  90,000.  New  Zealand  has  re- 
ceived about  3,000,000  fr.  since  its  separation  from  the  rest  of 
Oceania,  but  previously  it  had  been  the  principal  point  of 
Western  Oceania  to  which  the  Society  had  given  about  800,000 
fr.  The  other  islands  of  Oceania  had  received  more  than 
21,500,000  fr.  from  the  Society  up  to  1898.48 

NORTH  AMERICA:    CANADA 

In  1820  the  Dominion  of  Canada  had  1  Archbishop,  5 
Vicars  Apostolic,  302  priests  and  540,000  Catholics.  In  1898 
there  were  2,107,000  Catholics  distributed  among  7  arch- 
dioceses and  23  dioceses,  with  2,720  priests.  The  Society  for 
the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  has  liberally  assisted  all  this 
region  of  America ;  but  for  a  number  of  years  before  1898  it 
had  suppressed  its  assistance  to  the  eastern  part  of  Canada 
which  was  very  rich  and  very  prosperous.  It  continued  to 
come  to  the  aid  in  a  large  way  of  the  Vicariates  Apostolic  of 
Athabaska-Mackenzie,  of  Saskatchewan,  of  the  dioceses  of 
St.  Boniface,  of  St.  Albert,  of  New  Westminister  confided  to 
the  Oblate  Fathers  of  Mary  Immaculate,  of  the  Indian  Mis- 
sions of  the  Society  of  Jesus  in  Canada,  in  Alaska  and  in 
the  Rocky  Mountains.44 

CENTRAL  AMERICA  AND  THE  ANTILLES 

In  Central  America  and  the  Islands  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico 
the  Society  has  also  distributed  its  benefits.  In  1898  San 
Domingo,  Jamaica,  Trinidad,  Curacao  and  British  Honduras 
received  allocations  from  the  Society.45- 

SOUTH  AMERICA 

In  South  America  the  Vicariate  Apostolic  of  Surinam,  the 
Prefecture  Apostolic  of  Ayapock  and  Patagonia  confided  to 
the  zeal  of  the  sons  of  Don  Bosco  received  allocations.  The 


43.  Ut  supra,  p.  52,  1898. 

44.  Ut  supra,  p.  50,  1898. 

45.  Ut  supra,  p.  51,  1898. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith        153 


Dominican  Mission  among  the  Canelos  Indians  also  received 
subsidies  during  some  years,  and  the  Central  Councils  ac- 
corded at  different  times  important  sums  for  the  voyages  of 
different  missionaries.40 

THE  UNITED  STATES 

It  is  not  practical  to  give  here  more  than  a  brief  summary 
of  the  work  done  by  the  Society  for  the  Church  in  the  United 
States. 


The  funds  received  by 
each  year  from  the  Society 
as  given  by  Mgr.  Freri,  are 


the  dioceses  of  the  United  States 
for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith, 
as  follows : 


Year 

Eeceived 

Tear 

Eeceived 

Tear 

Eeceived 

1822 

$2,757.00 

1857 

$99,404.60 

1892 

$23,000.00 

1823 

5,200.00 

1858 

115,288.20 

1893 

16,700.00 

1824 

6,940.00 

1859 

173,623.80 

1894 

13,300.00 

1825 

10,340.00 

1860 

152,342.20 

1895 

10,800.00 

1826 

8,740.00 

1861 

118,014.00 

1896 

8,500.00 

1827 

20,700.00 

1862 

130,802.00 

1897 

11,312.50 

1828 

22,000.00 

1863 

119,800.00 

1898 

10,900.00 

1829 

24,268.00 

1864 

117,600.00 

1899 

10,292.86 

1830 

23,394.00 

1865 

124,450.00 

1900 

11,022.00 

1831 

25,294.00 

1866 

115,660.00 

1901 

28,226.00 

1832 

22,960.00 

1867 

97,260.00 

1902 

27,649.00 

1833 

19,604.00 

1868 

100,290.00 

1903 

26,524.00 

1834 

20,564.00 

1869 

99,975.00 

1904 

32,909.00 

1835 

29,053.60 

1870 

41,000.00 

1905 

41,571.82 

1836 

44,133.60 

1871 

87,200.00 

1906 

46,228.96 

1837 

37,916.20 

1872 

98,200.00 

1907 

51,645.42 

1838 

53,501.60 

1873 

75,600.00 

1908 

47,226.51 

1839 

68,025.00 

1874 

74,000.00 

1909 

55,830.18 

1840 

125,572.80 

1875 

73,040.00 

1910 

70,493.84 

1841 

122,261.00 

1876 

82,200.00 

1911 

73,716.27 

1842 

127,360.40 

1877 

67,440.00 

1912 

61,086.27 

1843 

126,259.60 

1878 

60,600.00 

1913 

87,765.47 

1844 

131,432.80 

1879 

57,080.00 

1914 

51,467.19 

1845 

107,400.00 

1880 

52,200.00 

1915 

45,613.16 

1846 

116,328.20 

1881 

56,600.00 

1916 

29,671.74 

1847 

87,980.00 

1882 

51,600.00 

1917 

81,363.54 

1848 

72,762.00 

1883 

59,360.00 

1918 

80,121.32 

1849 

95,316.00 

1884 

66,000.00 

1919 

76,992.94 

1850 

80,735.00 

1885 

60,840.00 

1920 

96,570.39 

1851 

78,287.00 

1886 

56,000.00 

1921 

101,098.85 

1852 

103,101.00 

1887 

51,400.00 

516,592.04 

1853 

126,452.00 

1888 

42  440.00 

1854 

127|439!20 

1889 

40'080!00 

$7,020,974.27 

1855 

101,084.60 

1890 

42,740.00 

4T 

1856 

105,761.40 

1891 

33,920.00 

46.  Ut  supra,  pp.  51-52,  1898. 

47.  FRERI,  op  cit.,  in  the  Annals,  vol.  LXXXV,  p.  68,  1922. 


154         The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 


CHAPTER  VIII 

ALLIED  AND  SUBORDINATE  ACTIVITIES 

The  methods  of  administration  used  by  the  Society  and 
the  remarkable  growth  in  its  collections,  together  with  its 
accomplishments,  have  been  treated.  There  are  other 
activities,  which  are  subordinate  to  the  main  work  of  this 
Society,  and  these  must  be  briefly  described. 

One  of  the  auxiliary  functions  which  has  largely  con- 
tributed to  the  success  of  the  Society  is  its  official  organ, 
the  Annales  de  .la  Propagation  de  la  Foi.  The  natural  pro- 
cess by  which  this  publication  evolved  can  be  traced  back  to 
the  Lettres  Edifiantes  et  Curieuses  which  had  been  written 
in  order  to  place  missionaries  in  direct  contact  with  their 
benefactors  during  the  preceding  century.  The  first  number 
of  this  valuable  collection  appeared  in  1702,  and  the  last 
issues  were  printed  in  the  reign  of  Louis  XV.  Later,  in 
1780,  Father  Querboeuf  issued  an  edition  of  the  Lettres,  but 
with  a  stricter  attention  to  classification  and  method.  The 
edition  was  in  26  volumes.1  Since  that  date,  the  Lettres  have 
often  been  reprinted,  and  in  1809-14  there  appeared  a  choice 
selection  of  the  documents.  The  last  edition  is  that  of  Paris 
(1875). 

As  the  natural  center  of  the  Missions  of  the  world  it  ap- 
peared logical  that  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the 
Faith,  destined  to  receive  alms  and  to  distribute  them  accord- 
ing to  the  needs  of  the  Missions,  should  create  an  organ  which 
would  be  a  sort  of  continuation  of  the  Lettres  Edifiantes.  It 
was  at  first  decided  by  the  Society  to  publish  its  organ  under 
the  title  Nouvelles  des  Missions;  then,  Annales  de  I' Association 
de  la  Propagation  de  la  Foi,  with  the  sub-title  Collection  fai- 
sant  suite  a  toutes  editions  des  Lettres  Edifiantes.  The  first 
volume  is  especially  valuable  to  the  American  historian,  since 


1.  Lettres  Edifiantes  et   Curieuses,  p.  x,   1875;    GUASCO,  Les 
sionnaires  et  la  Science,  p.  23,  1908. 


The  Society  {or  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith        155 

it  contains  a  letter  on  the  Missions  of  Louisiana  and  Badin's 
valuable  sketch  of  the  Kentucky  Missions. 

This  publication  has  spread  throughout  the  world  a 
knowledge  of  the  work,  the  fatigues,  the  perils  and  the 
success  of  the  Apostolic  laborers,  and  has  made  known  to  the 
learned  as  well  as  to  the  unlearned  the  habits  and  the  cus- 
toms of  missionary  countries  which  were  at  this  epoch  entirely 
unknown;  it  has  established  a  correspondence  between  the 
missionaries  and  the  whole  Catholic  world,  and  thus  it  has 
interested  even  the  least  of  the  faithful  and  enabled  them  in 
some  way  to  cooperate  in  the  accomplishment  of  the  Divine 
Plan.  The  Catholic  press  gave  a  hearty  reception  to  this  new 
periodical.  The  Quotidienne  wrote :  ' '  Independently  of  the 
great  interest  of  the  propagation  of  the  Faith  in  the  world, 
they  offer  a  wealth  of  ideas  concerning  geography,  interior 
administration,  habits  and  customs,  the  political  and  commer- 
cial resources  of  the  different  regions  which  here  pass  in 
review. ' '  '  The  utility  of  publication  to  the  Society  and  to  the 
Missions  results  from  the  zeal  and  charity  of  the  faithful  and 
the  clergy,  which  it  awakens  and  sustains.  Without  it,  it 
would  have  been  difficult,  if  not  impossible,  to  attract  the 
attention,  to  keep  alive  the  interest,  to  stimulate  the  desire 
to  aid  and  to  encourage  the  perseverance  of  the  contributors. 
It  accomplishes  this  result  by  emphasizing,  in  the  words  of 
the  missionaries  themselves,  the  sad  conditions  of  the  peoples 
living  in  the  darkness  of  paganism,  the  possibilities  of  their 
conversion,  their  absolute  poverty  which  makes  it  impossible 
for  them  to  support  the  Missions  and  by  demonstrating  the 
results  already  attained. 

Another  important  service  which  this  publication  has 
performed,  through  the  Society's  annual  financial  statement 
which  it  contains,  is  that  it  has  thus  forestalled  much  hostile 
criticism  of  the  Society's  administration  which  otherwise 
would  have  been  aroused.  By  this  publicity  public  powers, 


2.  LAUNAY,  Histoire  Generate  de  la  Societe  des  Missions  fitrangeres, 
t.  II,  pp.  519,  et  seq.  Of.  La  Propagation  de  la  Foi  in  the  Missions 
Catholiques,  t.  XXVI,  pp.  518,  519;  ibid.,  t.  I,  p.  1,  1868;  GUASCO,  op. 
cit.y  p.  29,  1911. 


156         The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

foreign  governments,  missionaries  and  the  faithful  were  all 
able  to  ascertain  the  exact  amount  of  money  received,  the 
expenses  incurred  and  the  Missions  and  religious  orders  sup- 
ported by  the  Society.  Thus  suspicions  and  charges  of  par- 
tiality in  favoring  the  Missions  of  any  particular  country  or 
the  missionaries  of  any  particular  nationality  have  been 
avoided  and  disproved.8 

The  Annales  was  at  first  annual ;  two  issues  were  published 
in  1824 ;  three  in  1826 ;  four  in  1830 ;  and  after  1835,  six  issues 
a  year.  The  Annales  is  sent  free  to  the  chief  of  each  group  of 
ten  who  circulates  it  among  each  of  the  group  after  which 
it  is  returned  to  him  and  becomes  his  property  as  a  recom- 
pense for  his  care  in  encouraging  its  reading.  It  was  soon 
translated  into  many  languages:  English,  Italian,  Spanish, 
Portugese,  Dutch,  Polish,  Flemish,  Basque,  Maltese,  German 
and  Breton.  The  first  English  edition  was  published  in 
Paris  in  the  year  1838.  In  May,  1839,  or  earlier  a  Dublin 
edition  was  begun.  The  American  edition,  published  by  the 
national  office  of  the  Society  in  New  York,  dates  from  the 
year  1903.  In  1922,  375,000  copies  of  this  publication  were 
printed  bi-monthly  in  various  languages.4 

It  was  soon  found  necessary  to  supplement  the  Annales  by 
the  publication  of  a  weekly  periodical  in  order  to  discuss 
many  subjects  which  could  not  find  a  place  in  the  Annales. 
Les  Missions  Catholiques  made  its  appearance  in  the  year 
1868.  This  weekly  review  is  sold  by  yearly  subscription,  and 
it  soon  acquired  an  important  place  among  contemporary 
publications,  a  place  merited  by  the  importance  of  its  object 
and  the  sublimity  of  its  end.  In  it  is  recorded  each  week  the 
correspondence  exchanged  between  apostolic  men  in  all  parts 
of  the  globe  concerning  religion,  history,  geography,  science 
and  industry  of  the  most  important  missionary  countries.  A 
quantity  of  the  documents  emanating  from  the  Missions  con- 
cern voyages,  statistics,  scientific  subjects,  obituary  notices 
and  bibliography.  The  text  offers  an  interest,  a  variety,  a 


3.  L'CEuvre  de  la  Propagation  de  la  Foi,  p.  9,  1898. 

4.  FRERI,  op.  cit.,  in  the  Annals,  t.  LXXXV,  p.  58,  1922. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith        157 

charm  and  a  picturesqueness  which  are  admirable.  It  is  well 
printed  and  richly  illustrated  with  numerous  maps  and  pic- 
tures, and  including  photographs  sent  in  by  missionaries.5 

Among  other  publications  of  this  Society  must  be  men- 
tioned the  Almanach  des  Missions  and  the  Petit  Almanach  de 
la  Propagation  de  la  Foi,  both  of  which  are  sold  for  the  profit 
of  the  Missions.  The  same  can  be  said  of  the  Album  des 
Missions.6 

Three  very  interesting  and  important  brochures  have  been 
published  under  the  auspices  of  the  Society  which  treat  of 
its  origins,  of  its  foundation,  of  its  organization,  of  its  his- 
tory, of  the  spiritual  favors  accorded,  of  the  pontifical  and 
episcopal  testimonials  and  of  the  history  of  the  Missions.  The 
first  of  these  entitled  L'CEuvre  de  la  Propagation  de  la  Foi, 
published  in  1898  by  the  Central  Councils  of  Lyons  and  Paris ; 
the  second  with  the  same  title,  published  in  1908,  and  the 
third  also  with  the  same  title,  published  by  M.  Alexandre 
Guasco,  the  General  Secretary  of  the  Central  Council  of 
Paris,  which  has  gone  through  several  editions,  the  first  of 
which  appeared  in  1904,  the  second  in  1904,  and  the  third 
in  1911,  published  in  conjunction  with  a  brochure  by  Mon- 
signor  Freri,  The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 
and  the  Catholic  Missions,  give  the  official  history  of  the 
Society. 

The  brochures,  in  which  are  printed  the  annual  sermons 
delivered  by  the  foremost  pulpit  orators  of  France  in  the 
primatial  church  of  Lyons  are  published  by  the  Society  and 
receive  wide  circulation  and  have  considerable  influence  in 
making  the  Society  known  and  loved  by  the  people.  L'Annee 
Apostolique  gives  a  summary  of  the  progress  of  the  Catholic 
Missions  each  year.  A  summary  of  the  progress  of  the  Mis- 
sions during  the  19th  century  is  found  in  M.  Alexandre 
Guasco,  Cent  Ans  d'Apostolat  Catholique  dans  les  Missions. 
The  Society  renders  invaluable  service  to  the  missions  by 
publishing  such  works  as  that  by  Louis-Eugene  Louvet,  Les 


5.  Missions  Catholiques,  t    I,  p.  1,  1868. 

6.  L'CEuvre,  etc.,  p.  10,  1898. 


158         The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

Missions  Catholiques  au  XIXe  Siecle.  The  Society  also 
makes  a  practice  of  distributing  such  special  works  as  the 
Petit  Manuel  de  Piete  a  I'Usage  des  Membres  de  VCEuvre  de 
la  Propagation  de  la  Foi,  by  Mgr.  Andre  Saint-Glair. 

The  American  Branch  of  the  Society  for  the  Propagation 
of  the  Faith  has  published  two  brochures  by  Mgr.  Joseph 
Freri,  Native  Clergy  for  Mission  Countries,  and  The  National 
Religion  of  Japan. 

The  maps  which  the  Society  has  published  form  a  collec- 
tion of  considerable  importance.  In  the  Annales  itself  have 
appeared  at  different  periods  maps  of  the  Missions  du  Levant, 
des  Etats-Unis  et  du  Canada,  Missions  de  la  Chine,  VInde, 
Tong-King,  la  Cochinchine,  Siam  et  Birmanie.1 

The  Missions  Catholiques  has  made  it  a  practice  of  giving 
premiums  to  their  subscribers  of  maps  of  different  missionary 
countries  which  today  are  sufficiently  numerous  to  form  an 
important  collection.  These  are  also  on  sale  in  Lyons.  This 
collection  includes  the  following : 

LAUNAY,  Planisphere  de  la  Hierarche  catholique  a  travers 

le  monde.* 

Carte  de  I'Eglise  catholique  dans  les  lies  Britanniques,  1910. 
Carte  de  I'Eglise  catholique  dans  les  Balkans,  1911. 
Carte  des  Missions  Catholiques  des  Pays  Scandinaves,  1909. 
Carte  de  la  Terrc  Sainte,  1914. 
Carte  de  la  Syrie  septentrionale,  1915. 
Carte  des  Missions  Catholiques  du  Siam,  de  la  Birmanie  et 

du  Laos,  1904. 

Carte  de  Vlnde  ecclesiastique,  1907. 
Carte  des  Missions  Catholiques  dans  I'Indo-Chine  frangaise, 

1888. 
L'Eglise  catholique  en  Chine  Orientate,  1912. 


7.  Carte  des  Missions  du  Levant,  in  the  Annales,  t.  VIII,  p.  409; 
Carte   des  fitats-Unis  ct   du  Canada,   in   the  Annales,   t.    IX,   p.    337; 
Carte  des  Missions  de  la  Chine,  in  the  Annales,  t.  X,  p.  80;  Carte  de 
I'Inde,   in   the   Annales,   t.    XI,    p.    576;    Carte   du    Tong-King,   de    la 
Cochinchine,  de  Siam  et  de  la  Birmanie,  in  the  Annales,  t.  XII,  p.  112. 

8.  This  work  is  on  sale  at  the  office  of  the  Society  in  Lyons  but 
was  not  given  out  as  a  premium. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith        159 

L'Eglise  catholique  en  Chine  Occidentale,  1913. 

Carte  des  Missions  catholiques  au  Japon,  1898. 

Carte  du  Sahara  et  du  nord-ouest  de  I'Afrique,  1895. 

Carte  des  Missions  du  Soudan  frangais  et  de  la  Cote  occi- 

dentale  d'Afrique,  1897. 
Carte  des  Missions  de  Madagascar,  1903. 
Carte  du  Nord-Est  Africain  et  du  Soudan  Egyptien,  1899. 
Carte  des  Missions  du  Centre  Africain,  1901. 
Carte  des  Missions  du  Sud  Africain,  1902. 
Carte  des  Missions  catholiques  en  Afrique,  1905. 
Carte  du  Canada  catholique,  1893. 
Carte  des  Missions  catholiques  aux  fitats-Unis,  1900. 
Carte  de  rAmcrique  du  Sud  ecclesiastique,  1908. 
Carte  des- Missions  catholiques  de  la  Melanesie,  Micronesie  et 

Polynesie,  1896. 
Carte  des  Missions  catholiques  en  Australie,  1906. 

M.  Valerien  Groffier  has  rendered  a  signal  service  to 
Christian  history  by  translating  and  enlarging  Werner's 
Katholischer  Missions-Atlas  which  traces  the  ecclesiastical 
organization  of  the  missionary  countries  under  the  jurisdic- 
tion of  the  Sacred  Congregation  de  Propaganda  Fide.  By 
indicating  the  precise  geographical  situation  of  hundreds  of 
Missions  the  name  of  which  is  familiar,  but  the  location  of 
which  on  the  globe  more  or  less  vaguely  known,  this  work 
enables  us  to  follow  the  progress  of  the  Missions. 

The  libraries  of  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the 
Faith,  which  are  established  in  connection  with  the  offices  of 
their  two  Central  Councils  in  Lyons  and  in  Paris,  contain  a 
fairly  good  collection  of  publications  of  missionary  societies, 
of  a  large  variety  of  books  devoted  to  particular  missionary 
countries,  of  ecclesiastical  directories,  and  of  all  the  works 
published  by  the  Society.  The  library  in  Paris  is  well  ar- 
ranged and  well  catalogued,  but  there  is  no  provision  made 
for  those  who  are  not  connected  with  the  Society  to  make  use 
of  it. 

In  Lyons  there  was  a  much  larger  collection  of  books, 
but  they  are  neither  well  arranged  nor  well  catalogued.  It 


160         The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

was  quite  evident  that  no  provision  had  been  made  for  per- 
mitting outsiders  to  make  use  of  the  books  in  their  possession. 

Another  valuable  record  of  the  progress  of  the  Missions 
may  be  found  at  the  headquarters  of  the  Society  in  Lyons; 
not  in  their  books,  but  in  the  thousands  of  mementos  of  mis- 
sionary activity  gathered  from  every  quarter  of  the  globe. 
Instruments  of  war  and  peace,  instruments  of  torture  and 
relics  of  martyrs  make  a  collection  that  represents  heroic 
achievements  worthy  to  rank  with  the  first  ages  of  Chris- 
tianity.9 This  well  arranged  museum  is  laid  out  in  two  rooms, 
one  of  which  contains  objects  of  general  interest,  whereas  the 
other  is  devoted  exclusively  to  relics  of  confessors  or  martyrs. 
The  whole  collection  is  thoroughly  catalogued  so  that  the 
visitor  can  easily  learn  the  interesting  points  about  each 
object.  No  study  is  more  interesting  for  those  who  have 
at  heart  the  progress  of  religion  and  civilization;  nothing 
better  shows  the  benevolent  influence  exercised  by  the  mis- 
sionaries of  the  world  than  the  Museum  of  the  Propagation 
of  the  Faith.  A  few  words  concerning  the  origin  of  this 
museum  and  the  riches  which  it  contains  will  not  be  out  of 
place.  From  the  first  years  of  the  Society  the  missionaries 
have  wished  to  testify  their  gratitude  toward  their  benefactors 
by  sending  either  relics  or  souvenirs  of  the  apostolic  laborers 
who  have  died  for  the  Faith,  or  of  interesting  and  precious 
objects  which  are  specimens  of  primitive  art  in  the  countries 
being  evangelized.  The  Religious  Congregations  have  added 
other  objects  to  this  collection,  and  these  have  been  admirably 
arranged  and  catalogued,  so  that  the  visitor  can  now  follow 
step-by-step  and,  as  it  were,  day  by  day,  the  progress  of  the 
apostolate  through  the  different  countries.10 

Another  means  of  publicity  employed  by  the  Society  is 
afforded  by  the  expositions  or  World 's  Fairs  to  which  it  sends 
an  exhibit.  At  Chicago  its  publications  and  its  maps  were 
displayed.  The  exposition  of  Lyons  in  1894,  that  of  Paris  in 
1900,  endeavored  to  translate  the  action  of  missionaries,  which 


9.  FRERI,  op.  cit.,  p.  10,  1912. 

10.  Missions  Catholiques,  t.  XXII,  p.  viii,  1890;  ibid.,  t.  XXV,  p. 
347,  1893. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith         161 

for  the  most  part  is  moral,  into  a  material  exhibition  by  show- 
ing the  statistics,  the  maps  and  other  exhibits  which  strike 
the  eye.  The  exhibits  were  of  interest  for  the  study  of  com- 
parative religions  as  well  as  for  geography,  history,  ethnog- 
raphy, natural  history,  teaching,  questions  of  interest  to  hos- 
pitals and  the  fine  arts.  The  publications  of  the  Society 
and  its  maps  were  given  a  prominent  place.11  These  expositions 
led  Piolet  to  suggest  that  they  should  be  transformed  into  a 
museum  and  thus  acquire  a  permanent  character.12 

Two  reasons  are  urged  by  Piolet  in  favor  of  a  permanent 
museum  for  all  Catholic  Missions :  Many  people  are  ignorant 
of  the  very  existence  of  our  Missions ;  even  among  those  who 
know  of  them  few  understood  their  importance.  It  was 
therefore  urgent,  to  awaken  public  attention,  that  a  museum 
of  the  Missions  be  created;  to  inform  the  public  curiosity 
more  abundantly,  that  a  large  central  library  of  the  Missions 
be  organized.  What  value  would  attach  to  such  a  central 
museum  which  would  unite  all  these  riches,  Chinese  vases,  the 
collection  of  all  the  woods  of  the  country,  of  Punic  and 
Roman  antiques,  inscriptions,  monuments,  clothes,  arms,  uten- 
sils of  a  savage  people  which  have  disappeared  or  is  about 
to  disappear,  ancient  books,  ancient  manuscripts,  codices, 
inscriptions  which  at  times  have  an  inestimable  value ;  all 
that  is  related  to  the  local  worship  or  superstition  or  customs 
and  the  objects  made  under  the  direction  of  the  missionaries. 
Such  a  museum  would  attract  visitors  and  awaken  attention ; 
but  the  curiosity  aroused  would  demand  a  more  ample  and 
more  precise  information.  A  library  would  respond  to  this 
new  need:  it  would  constitute  the  central  archives  of  the 
Missions.  It  should  be  extended,  like  the  museum  to  all  the 
Catholic  Missions  of  every  nationality,  to  those  who  desire  to 
study  the  most  abundant  and  the  most  certain  information. 
To  be  such,  in  a  word,  that,  without  having  consulted  it,  it 
would  not  be  permissible  for  any  one  to  speak  of  the  Missions. 


11.  Ut  supra,  t.  XXVI,  p.  463,  et  seq.,  1894;  ibid.,  t.  XXXII,  p. 
97,  1900. 

12.  PIOLET,  Eapport  sur  les  Missions  Catholiques  Frangaises,  p.  123, 
Paris,  1900. 


162         The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

It  should  therefore  contain :  all  the  books  written  or  published 
by  the  missionaries;  all  the  books  translated  or  printed  or 
illustrated  by  them  in  their  printing  establishments;  all  the 
text  books,  those  used  for  teaching  and  for  religion,  employed 
by  missionaries;  all  books  written  concerning  the  history  or 
the  present  condition  of  the  Missions,  be  they  favorable  or 
not ;  all  the  reviews  published  by  the  Missions,  or  speaking  of 
them;  all  the  archives  of  all  the  Missions  or  at  least  a  copy 
of  these  archives.  To  unite  them,  it  is  true,  would  be  long 
and  costly,  but  though  it  only  succeeded  partially  and  for 
the  ancient  Missions,  it  would  already  be  a  great  attainment. 
The  simple  index  of  the  archives  of  the  Socicte  des  Missions 
Etrangeres  fills  12  folio  volumes.  Such  a  collection  of  docu- 
ments exists  nowhere,  but  they  are  disseminated  throughout 
the  entire  universe,  divided  among  some  fifty  Societies.  He 
who  desires  to  write  the  history  of  our  Missions  is  truly  at  a 
loss  to  find  his  information.  This  library  would  furnish  him 
complete  information  at  first  hand. 

Leo  XIII  was  complimented  on  having  opened  the  Vatican 
Archives,  says  Piolet,  and  thus  rendered  less  difficult  the  task 
of  writing  the  history  of  the  Church.  To  give  the  same 
facility  to  tKe  historian  of  our  Missions,  this  vital  part  of  the 
Church  would  be  the  completion  of  the  work  of  Leo  XIII,  but 
in  the  reorganization  of  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of 
the  Faith  which  apparently  is  under  consideration,  it  would 
be  of  untold  value  to  the  world  of  science,  of  letters,  and  to 
the  study  of  history,  if  the  Society  were  to  devote  part  of  its 
enormous  funds  to  the  creation  of  a  Library  of  Books  on  the 
Missions,  a  central  Archives  for  all  missionary  societies,  where 
original  and  duplicate  copies  of  documents  might  be  housed, 
and  a  museum  on  the  scale  of  that  at  Kensington  (London) 
where  under  one  direction  all  the  objects  of  interest  in  the 
field  of  primitive  civilization  might  be  found.18 


13.  PIOLET,  Nos  Missions  et  Nos  Missionaires,  pp.  55-62,  Paris. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith         163 


CHAPTER  IX 

CRITICAL  ESSAY  ON  THE  SOURCES 

The  sources  for  the  study  of  the  Society  for  the  Propaga- 
tion of  the  Faith  consist  mainly  of  unpublished  and  published 
materials.  The  unpublished  documents  are  to  be  found  in 
the  archives  of  the  dioceses,  archdioceses,  Missions  and  relig- 
ious orders  throughout  the  world.  Copies  of  the  correspondence 
which  the  Society  carried  on  with  the  Missions  are  in  the 
registers  of  the  offices  of  the  two  Councils,  at  Lyons  and  Paris. 
The  more  important  part  of  the  correspondence  is  that  which 
has  been  received  from  the  Missions  themselves.  This  ex- 
plains their  status,  their  poverty,  the  good  that  could  be 
accomplished  but  for  lack  of  funds,  and  the  plans  and  hopes 
for  the  future.  These  documents  were  sent  either  to  the 
Superior  Council,  which  existed  from  1822-1830  when  it  dis- 
appeared in  the  Revolution,  or  to  the  Central  Council  of 
Lyons  or  to  that  of  Paris,  or  indirectly  to  one  of  these 
Councils  through  the  intermediary  of  some  influential  person 
whose  interest  was  felt  to  be  advantageous  to  the  Missions.  I 
referred  the  question  of  the  American  correspondence  (1822- 
1830)  sent  to  Monseigneur  le  Prince  de  Croy,  President 
of  the  Superior  Council  of  Paris,  Grand  Aumonier  de  France, 
to  M.  Guasco,  the  present  General  Secretary,  who  replied  as 
follows:  " There  are  no  letters  m  tne  Oeuvre  (Society)  con- 
cerning the  Conseil  Superieur  or  Monseigneur  de  Croy,  except 
those  that  were  published  in  the  Annales.  As  regards  the 
Archives  Nationales,  should  there  have  been  any  documents 
concerning  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  in 
the  Tuileries  at  the  time  of  the  Revolution,  they  would  have 
been  given  up  to  the  Archeveche  perferably  to  the  Archives 
Nationales,  and  the  Archeveche  in  its  turn,  would  have  given 
them  to  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith — such 


164         The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

has  not  been  the  case,  one  can  presume,  therefore,  that  there 
are  no  documents  or  that  they  have  been  destroyed  during 
that  troubled  period." 

The  correspondence  for  1822-1830  sent  to  the  Superior 
Council  of  Paris  has  not  yet  been  located.  If  it  is  extant, 
it  may  have  been  intermingled  with  the  documents  received 
by  the  Central  Council  of  Lyons;  but  a  search  for  it  in  the 
Archives  Nationales  was  not  successful.  The  unpublished 
documents  for  the  United  States  are  for  the  most  part  in  the 
Archives  of  the  Central  Council  of  Paris,  where  they  have 
been  carefully  sorted  by  dioceses  in  separate  dossiers  and  are 
arranged  chronologically.  An  accurate  idea  of  the  contents 
of  this  depot  can  be  judged  from  the  appendix  which  shows 
the  American  dioceses  which  have  received  money  from  the 
Society.  It  was  the  custom  of  the  Society  to  require  a  report 
from  the  diocese  or  Mission  or  religious  community  each  year 
that  financial  aid  was  given.  These  letters  are  written  gen- 
erally by  the  Bishop,  as  the  Society  preferred  to  deal  with  the 
hierarchal  head  of  each  ecclesiastical  territory.  At  times 
these  letters  were  written  by  the  Chancellor  or  Secretary  of 
the  Bishop  or  by  one  of  the  priests  or  superiors  of  some 
religious  community  within  the  diocese  and  were  at  times 
endorsed  and  recommended  by  the  ordinary.  The  earliest 
documents  relating  to  the  Church  of  the  United  States,  i.  e., 
from  1822  to  about  1838,  were  not  to  be  found  in  Paris,  nor 
were  these  duplicate  copies.  It  was  necessary,  therefore,  to  go 
to  Lyons  for  the  material  relating  to  these  years.  But  another 
difficulty  presented  itself  at  Lyons.  The  troublesome  period 
of  the  separation  in  1906  caused  the  Central  Council  of  that 
city  to  take  the  precautionary  measure  of  boxing  up  their 
material  and  shipping  it  into  Switzerland.  It  was  found 
necessary  to  take  a  trip  to  Fribourg  in  the  hope  of  finding 
these  papers.  M.  Groffier,  the  General  Secretary  of  the  Central 
Council  of  Lyons,  generously  offered  to  do  this  for  me.  His 
plan  was  to  go  to  Fribourg  and  to  select  the  material  which 
I  might  then  consult  in  the  Lyons  office.  The  amount  of 
important  historical  material  to  be  found  in  these  archival 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith         165 

depots  may  he  judged  from  the  time  spent  in  translating  and 
copying  the  interesting  parts  of  these  letters. 

Although  I  began  the  study  in  the  library  of  the 
Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  in  October, 

1920,  it  was  soon  discovered  that  the  published  sources  were 
incomplete  and  hence  unsatisfactory,  and  great  difficulty  was 
experienced  in  gaining  access  to  these  archives.     In  January, 

1921 ,  the  Central  Council  of  Paris  granted  me  this  permission 
and  I  was  given  the  dossiers  of  the  American  dioceses  in 
alphabetical  order.    It  soon  became  evident  that  it  would  take 
many  years  to  translate  and  transcribe  all  this  American  ma- 
terial.    Some  selection  was  forced  upon  me.     I  decided  to 
consult  first  the  archdioceses  and  then  those  dioceses  particu- 
larly associated  with  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the 
Faith  either  on  account  of  the  amount  of  money  given  to 
them  by  the  Society,  or  on  account  of  the  prominence  of  the 
Ordinary  whose  letters  were  contained  therein.     Much  more 
material  of   interest  to  American  scholars   still   remains   in 
Fribourg  and  there  is  a  large  quantity  of  documents  from 
America,  which  have  not  yet  been   consulted,   in  the   Paris 
archives.    It  is  quite  possible,  also,  that  considerable  material 
relating  to  the  American  participation  in  the  foundation  of 
the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  may  be  found 
in  the  archives  of  the  Grand  Seminary  of  St.  Irenaeus,  Lyons, 
France:  Fr.  Cholleton,  the  superior  of  the  institution,  knew 
personally  several  American  Bishops  and  missionaries.    Mon- 
seigneur   Bechetoille,    President  of   the    Central   Council   of 
Lyons  and  Vicar-General  of  Lyons,  has  in  his  possession  a 
note  book  of  authentic  copies  of  documents  relating  to  the 
Missions  Etrangeres,  and  to  Mile.  Jaricot's  participation  in 
the  foundation,  the  originals  of  which  have  been  sent  to  Rome 
to  be  used  in  the  cause  of  her  beatification. 

In  Rome,  in  the  Archives  of  the  Sacred  Congregation  de 
Propaganda  Fide  there  are  many  interesting  documents  con- 
cerning the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith.  Many 
of  these  have  special  reference  to  the  struggle  of  the  Society 
to  maintain  unity  and  universality  so  constantly  threatened  by 


166         The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

tentatives  of  independent  national  missionary  societies  in  al- 
most every  country  in  Europe.  The  documents  in  Propaganda 
referring  to  the  relations  between  the  American  dioceses  and 
the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  could  only  be  lo- 
cated by  searching  through  all  the  material  concerning  each 
diocese  or  each  Bishop.  The  frequent  references  to  M.  1'Abbe 
Carriere,  Superior  of  Seminary  St.  Sulpice,  in  the  letters  from 
American  Bishops  indicated  that  he  had  exerted  considerable 
influence  with  the  Central  Council  of  Paris  and  this  led  me  to 
believe  that  in  all  probability  many  interesting  letters  would 
be  found  in  the  archives  of  Saint-Sulpice.  M.  1'Abbe  Levesque, 
the  librarian  and  archivist,  searched  out  all  the  material  relat- 
ing to  the  Church  of  the  United  States,  but,  unfortunately, 
there  were  no  documents  which  threw  any  light  on  the  founda- 
tion of  the  Society  and  very  few  which  concerned  the  assis- 
tance rendered  by  the  Society  to  the  Church  of  the  United 
States.  Letters  from  Bishop  Flaget  of  Bardstown,  from 
Father  Richard  of  Detroit,  and  an  unpublished  manuscript 
of  the  history  of  Saint  Mary's  Seminary,  Baltimore,  were 
the  most  interesting  materials  located.  Although  the  Sulpi- 
cians  showed  considerable  interest  in  the  United  States  and 
aided  it  with  their  good  offices  before  the  Central  Council  of 
Paris,  they  never  received  any  material  aid  from  the  Society, 
unless  it  was  through  the  Ordinary  of  the  diocese  in  which 
they  were  established. 

The  delegates  of  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the 
Faith  in  America  after  1897  had  their  office  at  the  St.  Mary's 
Seminary,  Baltimore,  and  it  was  thought  that  some  unpub- 
lished documents  of  importance  to  my  study  would  be  found 
there,  but  these  materials  were  transferred  when  the  delegate 
moved  his  office  to  New  York  in  1903.  In  the  Mother  House 
of  the  Congregation  of  the  Mission  at  Paris  it  was  believed 
there  would  be  many  letters  from  the  American  seminaries 
and  missions  which  this  Congregation  established,  but  at  the 
time  of  the  separation  in  1906  their  archives  were  also  shipped 
out  of  Paris  so  it  was  not  possible  to  consult  them.  Concerning 
the  archives  of  the  Seminaire  des  Missions  fitrangeres,  the 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith        167 

Superieur  informed  me  that  there  was  no  material  relative 
to  the  Church  of  the  United  States,  but  that  there  were 
letters  from  missionaries  in  Canada.  In  Vienna  is  the  head- 
quarters of  the  Leopoldine  Association,  another  Foreign  Mis- 
sion association  that  has  given  much  money  to  the  Church 
of  the  United  States.  When  Dr.  Guilday  and  I  were  at 
Vienna  together  we  procured  the  collection  of  the  Bcrichte, 
but  the  Vicar-General  assured  us  that  the  original  docu- 
ments relating  to  the  Church  of  the  United  States  had 
not  been  preserved.  A  third  possible  source  was  the  archives 
of  the  Ludwig-Missionsverein  at  Munich.  At  the  request  of 
Dr.  Guilday,  Rev.  Dr.  Joseph  Schabert  went  to  Munich  to 
obtain  a  set  of  the  published  documents  and  to  investigate 
the  contents  of  their  archives.  Since  that  date  the  collection 
of  documents  of  the  Ludwig-Missionsverein  has  been  procured 
for  the  Catholic  University  of  America,  but  they  contain  noth- 
ing cognate  to  my  study.  Nothing  of  importance  for  my  sub- 
ject was  found  in  the  American  College  at  Rome,  or  the 
American  College  at  Louvain. 

In  the  archives  of  the  Central  Council  of  Lyons 
and  of  Paris  the  greatest  collection  of  the  original 
material  for  this  work  was  found.  Its  historical  value  for 
the  American  Church  is  great  because  the  bishops  wished  to 
prove  that  their  dioceses  deserved  financial  assistance  from 
the  Society,  and  hence  arose  the  necessity  of  presenting  facts 
about  the  religious  situation  of  their  dioceses,  its  size,  its 
population,  its  Catholic  population,  the  racial  and  national 
divisions  of  the  population,  the  number  of  priests,  both  foreign 
and  native,  the  number  of  churches,  chapels  and  Mission 
stations,  the  number  of  baptisms,  infant  and  adult,  the  num- 
ber of  Easter  Communions,  the  information  regarding  the 
Seminary,  Colleges,  boarding  schools,  and  day  schools,  and  the 
religious  conducting  the  same,  with  similar  data  for  the  hos- 
pitals, orphan  asylums  and  other  charitable  institutions. 
These  letters  also  included  the  plans  for  the  succeeding  year 
and  the  financial  expenditures  involved  in  obtaining  more 
priests  and  more  seminarians  and  providing  for  their  support, 


168         The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

for  new  or  enlarged  buildings  such  as  churches,  seminaries, 
noviciates,  presbyteries  and  monasteries,  and  for  similar 
requirements  for  educational  and  charitable  activities.  The 
Society  also  desired  to  know  the  financial  situation  of  the 
diocese ;  and  the  bishop  was  asked  what  was  the  certain  income 
for  the  next  year,  what  could  be  expected  from  pew  rents, 
the  sale  of  lands  in  possession  of  the  diocese,  from  the  volun- 
tary contributions  of  the  faithful  or  from  the  stole  fees.  In 
a  word,  what  was  the  probable  amount  of  the  accounts  re- 
ceivable for  the  ensuing  year?  On  the  credit  side  of  the 
questionnaire  was  to  be  entered  the  bills  and  accounts  payable 
item,  including  the  debt  of  the  diocese  or  of  the  parishes  for 
which  the  bishop  was  held  responsible,  both  the  total  amount 
and  the  amount  due  or  payable  during  the  coming  year.  Then 
a  statement  of  the  expenditures  required  for  establishments 
already  founded  and  the  portion  due  during  the  following 
year  together  with  the  same  details  for  establishments  to  be 
founded  during  the  coming  year.  Thus  it  was  possible  to 
construct  in  advance  an  income  sheet  for  the  ensuing  year 
and  the  Society  then  planned  to  assist  the  diocese  by  providing 
a  portion  of  the  anticipated  deficit.  There  was  generally  an 
explanation  of  one  or  many  of  the  items  on  this  questionnaire, 
either  in  the  columns  provided  for  remarks  or  in  the  letter 
which  accompanied  the  report.  All  this  data  was  not  given 
for  every  diocese  each  year  but  the  Central  Council  expressed 
its  desire  to  have  all  this  information  in  its  hands  before 
allocating  the  collections  to  the  different  Missions.  This 
material  was  too  bulky  to  be  submitted  to  the  Directors  them- 
selves, of  the  Central  Councils,  so  that  in 'each  case  an  analysis 
of  the  report  was  made  and  entered  in  a  book  provided  for 
that  purpose,  while  a  duplicate  copy  of  the  report  was  sent 
to  the  other  Central  Council. 

Such  is  the  nature  of  this  original  unpublished  material, 
and  there  is  scarcely  a  question  concerning  the  history  of 
the  Church  in  the  United  States  which  does  not  have  new 
light  thrown  upon  it  by  these  documents.  Being  private  re- 
ports from  American  prelates  or  superiors  of  a  religious 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith        169 

community  to  a  foreign  office  which,  it  was  understood,  would 
not  publish  them  without  the  consent  of  the  author  and  which 
had  no  jurisdiction  in  the  administration  of  the  diocese,  the 
author  might  readily  express  his  sincere  conviction  about 
many  subjects  which  he  might  not  be  able  to  state  openly  in 
America. 

Certainly  he  was  able  to  speak  frankly  of  the  difficulties 
and  dangers,  the  loss  and  the  gain,  his  plans  and  his  hopes. 
There  are  letters  from  about  eighty  American  dioceses  cover- 
ing an  average  period  of  about  thirty  years.  In  addition  to 
the  diocesan  letters  there  are  letters  from  some  religious  orders 
which  received  money  directly  from  the  Society  independent 
of  or  in  addition  to  what  they  may  have  obtained  from  the 
Ordinary  in  whose  diocese  they  were  established,  e.  g.  Jesuits, 
Vincentians,  Oblates,  etc. 

The  published  sources  for  the  study  of  the  Society  for 
the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  consist  chiefly  of  the  collection 
of  the  Annales  de  la  Propagation  de  la  Foi.1  The  first  number 
appeared  in  1822  in  the  form  of  a  modest  pamphlet  circulated 
among  the  members  of  the  newly  founded  Association.  It 
contained  a  long  letter  about  the  missions  of  Louisiana 
(Diocese  of  New  Orleans)  and  another  about  those  of  Ken- 
tucky (Diocese  of  Bardstown).  Since  then  the  Annales  have 
appeared  regularly  and  have  preserved  the  same  character 
and  almost  the  same  modest  form  without  any  pretense  to 
literary  or  scientific  achievement.  Nevertheless  the  humble 
publication  contains  invaluable  information  for  the  religious 
history  of  the  countries  whose  evangelization  it  narrates.2  In 
the  beginning  it  contained  the  correspondence  between  mis- 
sionaries (including  bishops  and  religious  superiors),  and 
the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith,  or  their  super- 
iors, relatives,  friends  or  benefactors,  giving  an  account  of 
their  situation,  their  labors,  their  success  and  whatever  they 
considered  worthy  of  attention.  In  this  regard  it  would  be 
well  to  quote  a  word  from  the  preface  of  the  monumental 


1.  Encyclopedic  des  Sciences  Eeligieuses,  p.  207,  Paris. 

2.  FKERI,  op.  cit. 


170         The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

work  of  L.  E.  Louvet  Les  Missions  Catholiques  au  XIXe 
Siecle :  ' i  I  do  not  pretend  to  be  believed  on  my  own  word.  I 
advance  nothing  which  I  have  not  found  in  the  official  col- 
lections, the  Annales  of  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  and 
those  of  the  Sainte-Enfance,  the  Bulletin  des  E  coles  d' Orient, 
the  Missions  Catholiques,  the  letters  and  reports  of  mission- 
aries, all  the  venerable  documents  which  inform  us  day  by 
day  of  the  labors,  the  sufferings  and  the  victories  of  the 
Apostolate.  One  who  disdainfully  rejected  such  evidence 
would  not  be  free  from  malice ;  several  have  come  to  us  sealed 
with  the  blood  of  martyrs.  According  to  the  word  of  Pascal 
'one  ought  to  believe  witnesses  who  have  suffered  death.'  ' 
Although  many  of  these  letters  are  of  the  same  high 
standard  as  the  unpublished  letters  described  above,  at  times 
the  names  and  dates  are  missing.  The  letters  may  have  been 
" edited."  It  may  have  been  found  necessary  to  suppress 
portions  of  them,  and  the  questionnaire  itself  with  all  the 
precise  information  it  contains  is  not  published.  The  letters 
or  articles  were,  moreover,  written  or  selected  at  times  not 
with  the  intention  of  showing  precisely  and  in  detail  the  full 
extent  of  the  needs  of  the  Mission  or  the  diocese  and  all  the 
data  concerning  the  employment  of  the  funds  distributed  and 
thus  enabling  one  to  gain  an  insight  into  the  exact  service 
rendered  by  the  society  to  that  diocese  or  Mission.  At  least 
this  information  was  not  continuously  shown  for  every  year, 
as  can  be  seen  in  the  unpublished  letters  which  were  used 
for  determining  the  allocations.  But  often  the  published 
letters  were  selected  because  they  were  edifiantes  et  curieuses 
— edifying  and  interesting,  with  the  aim  of  increasing  dona- 
tions, advertising  the  Society,  glorifying  the  missionaries  and 
stimulating  vocations.  To  quote  from  the  Annales  them- 
selves :  ' '  There  is  no  need  of  mentioning  that  news  is  taken 
from  the  most  authentic  sources  and  that  it  is  only  published 
with  the  special  approbation  of  the  bishops  or  chiefs  of  mis- 
sions."3 At  times  the  editors  of  the  Annales  and  even  the 
Central  Council  complained  about  the  scarcity  of  information 


3.  Annales,  t.  I,  fasc.  i,  p.  5. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith    '     171 

and  the  infrequency  of  letters  from  the  United  States.  Bishop 
Rosati,  in  a  letter,  August  3,  1828,  explains:  "The  reason 
of  the  silence  of  most  of  our  priests  is,  I  believe,  the  persuasion 
which  they  have  of  the  little  interest  which  an  account  of 
their  labors,  could  excite  in  the  faithful  of  Europe,  who  gen- 
erally expect  to  find  something  very  extraordinary  in  the 
occupation  of  a  missionary  living  at  the  extremity  of  the 
civilized  world. ' '  *  The  editor  of  the  Annales  asserted  in  1830 
that  '  *  our  modest  Catholic  missionaries  furnish  us  scarcely 
sufficient  material  to  publish,  four  times  a  year,  a  little 
pamphlet  of  a  hundred  pages  for  the  edification  of  the  pious 
persons  who  cooperate  in  their  support."  In  the  Missions 
Catholiques  the  nature  of  the  material  published  in  the 
Annales  is  described  as  "the  most  important,  it  is  that  which 
constitutes,  properly  speaking,  the  materials  for  the  history 
of  the  church  in  the  countries  of  the  Missions.  They  will 
continue  to  justify  their  title  in  editing  the  acts  of  martyrs 
and  of  confessors  and  in  ascertaining  the  general  progress 
of  the  Apostolate. " 6 

In  order  to  estimate  the  services  rendered  by  the  Annales, 
one  must  not  lose  sight  even  of  the  points  of  view,  ethno- 
graphic, geographic  and  historical  of  distant  countries,  that 
were  not  available  at  the  moment  of  their  publication.  The 
Annales  remain  no  less,  a  most  precious  collection,  containing 
details  which  often  afford  great  interest;  details  which  were 
observed  by  the  very  men  who  were  not  content  to  live  in 
the  maritime  or  commercial  cities,  but  who  penetrated  as  far 
as  the  smallest  settlements.  Being  a  popular  publication, 
circulating  among  all  classes,  its  appeal  was  however  popular. 

Like  the  first  Apostles  who  wrote  to  the  different  churches, 
the  missionaries  were  always  very  careful  to  keep  the  Chris- 
tion  people  informed  concerning  their  works,  by  narrating, 
either  to  their  superiors,  to  princes  or  to  important  person- 
ages who  were  their  benefactors,  the  different  episodes  of  their 


4.  Ut  supra,  t.  Ill,  p.  545. 

5.  Ut  supra,  t.  IV,  p.  185. 

6.  Missions  Catholiques,  t.  I,  p.  1,  1868. 


172         The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

diversified  life,  their  fatigues,  their  labors,  their  successes. 
They  found  in  this  custom  the  means  of  instruction,  of  sus- 
taining vocations,  and  of  engaging  pious  souls  to  aid  them, 
with  their  prayers  and  their  generosities.7  A  need  was  felt 
for  uniting  the  letters  of  all  the  missionaries  into  one  collec- 
tion which  became  the  Lettres  Edifiantes.  These  letters,  at 
first  given  without  order,  were  later  the  object  of  a  new 
edition  divided  into  four  parts.  The  first  was  consecrated  to 
the  Levant,  the  second  to  America,  the  third  to  the  Indies,  the 
fourth  to  China,  to  Cochinchina  and  to  Tonkin.  The  Lettres 
Edifiantes  soon  formed  such  an  important  collection  that 
there  were  editions  composed  of  a  choice  of  the  most  interest- 
ing Lettres.  Thus  the  first  collection  of  this  nature,  published 
in  1809,  through  the  care  of  a  canon  of  Notre  Dame  of  Paris, 
was  re-edited  and  enlarged  in  1824.  A  new  series  of  the 
Lettres  Edifiantes  entitled  Nouvelles  Lettres  Edifiantes  ap- 
peared in  volumes  by  Adrien  le  Clere  in  the  years  1818, 
1820,  1821,  1823. 

There  is  no  justification  for  the  harsh  criticism  of  the 
Annales  by  the  Encyclopedic  des  Sciences  Religieuses  to  the 
effect  that  the  news  which  this  collection  (Lettres  Edifiantes 
and  the  Annales)  is  not  always  accurate:  ''But  the  inexacti- 
tude of  many  of  their  affirmations  has  been  so  peremptorily 
demonstrated  that  one  hesitates  very  much  before  according 
his  confidence  to  the  other  accounts  of  such  suspected  wit- 
nesses. The  other  Catholic  documents  do  not  appear  in  gen- 
eral to  merit  much  more  confidence  and  impartial  information 
to  control  their  affirmations  is  very  often  lacking  us."8 

In  the  first  issue  of  the  Missions  Catholiques  the  editor, 
in  describing  the  scope  of  this  weekly  journal,  spoke  of  the 
number  of  readers  who  were  desirous  of  following,  with  their 
mind  as  well  as  with  their  heart,  the  advance  of  the  mission- 
aries in  distant  continents  or  in  unknown  islands,  who  are 
interested  in  the  least  details  of  these  long  and  perilous 
voyages.  They  wish  to  know  day  by  day,  so  to  speak,  the 


7.  GUASCO,  op.  cit.,  p.  27. 

8.  Encyclopedic  des  Sciences  Eeligieuses,  p.  207. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith        173 

works  of  these  Apostolic  laborers.  They  esteem  that  even 
to  only  consider  the  human  side  of  these  things,  of  such 
voyages,  of  such  labors,  merits  the  attention  of  the  educated 
world.  Are  not  the  missionaries  the  most  serious  of  observers  ? 
The  knowledge  of  the  language  and  the  customs  of  the  peoples 
whom  they  evangelize  naturally  places  them  in  a  position  to 
gain  exact  notions  concerning  history,  geography  and  the 
arts  and  sciences.9  Much  of  the  historical  material  is  found 
in  articles  written  by  missionaries  which  often  are  in  serial 
form  running  through  several  issues.  In  it  are  reproduced 
the  interesting  historical  occurrences  under  the  heading 
Ephemerides  which  are  at  times  closely  associated  with  the 
history  of  the  Church  in  the  United  States.  The  official  let- 
ters of  the  bishops  or  religious  superiors  do  not  very  often 
find  their  way  into  this  publication,  but  it  contains  the 
Pontifical  encyclicals  and  briefs,  the  acta  of  national  and 
provincial  councils  and  the  sermons  of  celebrated  orators. 
Some  of  this  material  is  usually  found  in  both  the  Annales 
and  the  Missions  Catholiques. 

Other  material  for  the  study  of  the  Missions  in  general 
as  well  as  for  the  Missions  in  the  United  States  in  particular 
is  to  be  found  in  the  contemporary  literary  sources  published 
by  the  different  religious  orders.  The  Annales  de  la  Congre- 
gation de  la  Mission  contains  biographical  sketches  of  all  the 
members  of  that  congregation  shortly  after  their  death. 
Besides  the  general  information  concerning  their  activity  in 
the  United  States  there  is  found  much  material  relating  to 
Baltimore,  the  Barrens,  Mo.,  Cape  Girardeau,  Mo.,  Donaldson- 
ville,  La.,  Emmitsburg,  Md.,  Galveston,  Texas,  Gerniantown, 
Pa.,  La  Salle,  111.,  Los  Angeles,  Calif.,  Niagara,  N.  Y.,  New 
Orleans,  La.,  Sante  Genevieve,  Mo.,  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  and  San 
Francisco,  Calif.  The  index  to  the  Annales  de  la  Congregation 
de  la  Mission  is  well  arranged  and  is  of  great  aid  to  the 
schqlar. 

The  Woodstock  Letters  is  a  private  publication  of  the 
Fathers  of  the  Society  of  Jesus  and,  although  of  an  entirely 


9.  Missions  Catholiques,  t.   I,  p.  1,  1868. 


174        The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

different  nature  from  the  famous  Jesuit  Relations,  it  is 
nevertheless  of  considerable  interest  as  a  contemporary  lit- 
erary source.  The  index  to  this  publication,  covering  the 
years  from  1872  to  1896,  is  divided  into  three  parts,  first, 
a  general  list  of  the  articles,  second,  an  index  of  the  authors, 
third,  sketches  and  obituary  notices.  The  index  was  pub- 
lished in  1898.  The  Society  of  Jesus  received  $263,000  to  be 
used  in  the  United  States,  directly  from  the  Society  for  the 
Propagation  of  the  Faith,  in  addition  to  what  their  various 
establishments  may  have  received  from  the  Ordinaries  of  the 
dioceses  in  which  they  were  located.  Consequently,  the 
Woodstock  Letters  are  of  considerable  interest  to  one  who 
desires  to  trace  the  results  of  these  alms  from  the  Society  of 
the  Propagation  of  the  Faith. 

The  printed  sources  for  the  study  of  the  results  of  the 
activity  of  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  in  the 
United  States  are  partly  to  be  found  in  the  publications  of 
the  American  Catholic  historical  societies.  The  work  of 
Martin  I.  J.  Griffin,  who  was  an  indefatigable  delver  into 
the  by-ways  of  the  past. and  who  published  a  large  amount 
of  original  data  which  is  of  much  value  and  assistance  to  the 
historian  of  the  development  of  the  Church  in  the  United 
States,  is  found  in  the  two  quarterly  publications,  the  Amer- 
ican Catholic  Historical  Researches  and  the  Records  of  the 
American  Catholic  Historical  Society  of  Philadelphia.  The 
Historical  Records  and  Studies  of  the  United  States  Catholic 
Historical  Society  in  New  York  is  also  a  valuable  source  pub- 
lication. Among  the  more  recent  historical  publications  the 
Catholic  Historical  Review  is  found  by  scholars  to  be  indis- 
pensable for  the  history  of  any  place  or  any  period  of  the 
Church  in  the  United  States.  The  other  local  publications 
such  as  the  Illinois  Catholic  Historical  Review,  the  St.  Louis 
Catholic  Historical  Review,  and  the  Acta  and  Dicta  of  St. 
Paul,  are  each  of  value  for  the  history  of  their  locality.  In 
the  Catholic  Encyclopedia  there  is  an  article  by  Monsignor 
Joseph  Freri  on  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith. 
There  are  also  many  articles  on  the  different  dioceses,  bishops 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith        175 

and  nationalities.  In  the  Dictionnaire  de  Theologie  Catholique, 
Father  G.  Andre  has  an  excellent  article  upon  Catholicism 
in  America.  The  splendid  map  of  the  ecclesiastical  provinces 
and  another  showing  the  former  location  of  the  Indian  tribes 
in  this  work  are  of  considerable  aid  to  the  reader.  Among 
all  the  works  treating  of  the  history  of  the  Missions  in  general 
that  which  is  preeminent  is  the  monumental  work  by  M. 
1'Abbe  L.  E.  Louvet,  Les  Missions  Catholiques  au  XI Xc 
Siecle.  Without  it  the  author  of  this  work  would  have  been 
at  a  loss  to  find  data  upon  many  subjects  which  he  has  treated. 
Father  J.  B.  Piolet,  both  in  the  great  work  Les  Missions 
Catholiques  Frangaises  au  XIXe  Siecle,  as  well  as  his  broch- 
ure Nos  Missions  et  Nos  Missionaires  and  in  others  which 
he  published  with  the  collaboration  of  Ch.  Vadot  upon  the 
missions  of  China,  India  and  Africa,  are  very  useful.  Adrien 
Launay,  in  his  L'Histoire  Generate  de  la  Societe  des  Missions 
fitrangcres,  provides  the  student  in  search  of  the  antecedents 
of  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  much  impor- 
tant material  which  is  ordinarily  overlooked.  For  the  history 
of  the  Church  in  the  United  States,  John  Gilmary  Shea, 
especially  in  his  first  two  volumes,  has  treated  his  subject  in 
a  masterly  way,  and  although  the  two  latter  volumes  are 
inferior  still  they  are  very  useful  to  the  student.  Shorter 
works  on  the  history  of  the  Church  in  America  are  provided 
in  O 'Gorman's  History  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  in  the 
United  States  and  in  the  work  of  Father  A.  Andre,  Le  Catho- 
licisme  aux  Etats-Unis.  Father  Thomas  Hughes,  in  his 
History  of  the  Society  of  Jesus  in  North  America,  provides  a 
wealth  of  material  which  is  not  to  be  found  elsewhere.  The 
biographical  sketches  in  the  Metropolitan  Catholic  Almanac 
and  Laity's  Directory  as  well  as  the  concise  information  in 
this  directory  concerning  the  different  dioceses  and  ecclesi- 
astical institutions  contain  much  useful  material.  For  the 
educational  work  of  the  Church,  which  was  made  possible  in 
part  by  the  financial  assistance  obtained  from  the  Society 
for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith,  the  works  by  Father  Burns 
are  invaluable.  For  a  study  of  the  movements  which  cul- 


176         The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

minated  in  the  foundation  of  the  Society  for  the  Propaga- 
tion of  the  Faith,  the  biography  of  Miss  Jaricot  by  M.  <L 
Maurin,  although  inclining  more  towards  hagiography  than 
to  impartial  history,  is  nevertheless  of  distinct  value.  The 
two  notices  published  by  the  Central  Councils  on  L'Oeuvre 
de  la  Propagation  de  la  Foi  in  1898  and  1908,  together  with 
the  brochure  of  the  same  title  by  M.  Alexandre  Guasco,  the 
General  Secretary  of  the  Central  Council  of  Paris,  and  that 
by  Mgr.  Joseph  Freri,  the  delegate  of  the  Society  in  the 
United  States,  are  all  official,  thoroughly  reliable,  and  sincere 
treatments  of  the  foundation,  organization,  progress  and 
results  of  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith.  Rev. 
F.  Demartino's  work,  Sinossi  delle  piu  interessanti  notizle, 
etc.,  was  found  to  be  rather  popular  in  its  treatment  of  this 
subject. 

A  graphic  classification  of  this  material,  including  only  the 
main  sources  and  books  used  in  the  composition  of  this  work, 
may  be  given  as  follows : 

I— SOURCES 
A — STILL  IN  MANUSCRIPT 

These  have  already  been  described  above.  The  main  arch- 
ival depots  are  those  of  the  Propaganda,  in  Rome,  the  general 
archives  of  the  Society  at  Paris,  and  the  other  archival  source- 
material,  either  at  Lyons  or  in  Fribourg.  There  is  no  necessity 
of  giving  a  tabulated  text  of  diocesan  or  corporative  centres. 

B — PRINTED 

The  most  interesting  general  account  of  the  printed  publi- 
cations concerning  the  Society  is  that  contained  in  the 
Discours  by  the  celebrated  Father  Joseph  Tissot,  at  Lyons, 
May  23,  1894. 

1 — PUBLICATIONS  OP  THE  SOCIETY 

Annales  de  la  Propagation  de  la  Foi,  Vol.  1,  contains  the 
Annales  for  the  first  four  years ;  after  1840  there  is  one 
volume  a  year,  and  the  1922  volume  is  the  ninety-fifth. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith         111 

2 — PUBLICATIONS  OF  MISSIONARY  ORDERS 

Annales  de  la  Congregation  de  la  Mission.      (Lazarists  or 

Vincentians. ) 

Woodstock  Letters.     (American  Jesuits.) 
Missions  de  la  Congregation  des  Missionaires  Oblats  de  Marie 

Immaculce. 

7±nnales  des  Sacrcs-Coeurs.     (Picpus  Fathers.) 
Bulletin  des  Ecoles  Chretiennes.     (Christian  Brothers.) 
Annee  Dominicaine. 
Bulletin  Trimestriel  des  Anciens  Eleves  de  Saint  Sulpice. 

3 — AMERICAN  CATHOLIC  HISTORICAL  PUBLICATIONS 

American  Catholic  Historical  Researches. 

Records  of  American  Catholic  Historical  Society  (Philadel- 
phia ) . 

Historical  Records  and  Studies  of  the  United  States  Catholic 
Historical  Society  (New  York). 

Catholic  Historical  Review  (Washington,  D.  C.). 

Illinois  Catholic  Historical  Review  (Chicago). 

St.  Louis  Catholic  Historical  Review  (St.  Louis,  Mo.). 

Acta  and  Dicta  (St.  Paul). 

H_BOOKS 
I — REPERTORIES 

The  Catholic  Encyclopedia  (New  York). 

Encyclopedia  Brittanica. 

Encyclopedia  of  Religion  and  Ethics  (Hastings). 

La  Grande  Encyclopedic  (Paris). 

Encyclopedic  des  Sciences  Religieuses  (Paris). 

Encyclopedic  Theologique  (Paris)  1863. 

Realencyklopodie  fur  protestantische  Theologie  und  Kirche. 

Dictionnaire  de  Theologie  Catholique  (Vacant)  Paris,  1900. 

Dictionnaire    d'Histoire    et    de    Geographic    Ecclesiastiques 

(Paris,  1913). 
Kirchenlexicon. 


178         The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 
I— DIDACTIC  WORKS 

I.  GENERAL  WORKS 

A.  MISSIONS 
1.  IN  GENERAL 

The  Catholic  Foreign  Mission  Field  and  the  Society  of  the 

Propagation  of  the  Faith.  Two  papers  read  at  the  Missionary 
Conference  held  at  Washington,  D.  C.  (April  6-12,  1904), 
by  the  REV.  J.  FRERI,  D.  C.  L.,  National  Director  and  the 
REV.  JAS.  A.  WALSH,  Boston  Diocesan  Director  of  the 
Propagation  of  the  Faith. 

HENRION,  Histoire  Generate  des  Missions  (1219-1844)  Paris, 
1850. 

LOUVET^  Les  Missions  Catholiques  au  XIXe  Siecle  (Paris, 
1894). 

PIOLET,  Les  Missions  Catholiques  Frangaises  au  XIXe  Siecle, 
(Paris,  1903). 

PIOLET,  Les  Missions  Catholiques  Frangaises  (Paris,  1900). 

PIOLET,  La  France  Hors  de  France  (Paris,  1900). 

PIOLET,  Nos  Missions  et  Nos  Missionnaires  (Paris,  1904). 

GROFFIER,  Hcros  Trop  Oublies  de  Notre  Epopee  Coloniale 
(Paris,  1906). 

LEROY-BEAULIEU,  Les  Congregations  Religieuses  et  L' Expan- 
sion de  la  France  (Paris,  1904). 

GUASCO,  Cent  ans  d'Apostolat  Catholique  dans  les  Missions 
(1800-1900)  Paris,  1900. 

WERNER,  Atlas  des  Missions  Catholiques  (Fribourg,  1886). 

MARSHALL,  Christian  Missions,  Their  Agents  and  Their  Re- 
sults (London,  1863). 

MOORE,  The  Expansion  of  Christendom  and  the  Naturalization 
of  Christianity  in  the  Orient  in  the  XIX  Century  (Lon- 
don, 1920). 

2.  IN  PARTICULAR  COUNTRIES 

PIOLET- VADOT,  La  Religion  Catholique  en  Chine. 
PIOLET- VADOT,  L'Eglise  Catholique  en  Indo-Chine. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith        179 

PIOLET-VADOT,  L'Eglisc  Catholique  dans  le  Continent  Noir. 
PIOLET-VADOT,  L'Eglise  Catholique  aux  Indes. 

3.  MISSIONS  OF  PARTICULAR  ORDERS 

HEIMBUCIIER,  Die  Or  den  und  Kongregationen  der  Kath- 
olischen  Kirche,  3  volumes — Paderborn,  1907. 

Memoir e  Historique  sur  les  Constitutions  de  la  Congregation 
des  Missions  Etrangeres. 

LAUNAY,  L'Histoire  Generate  de  la  Societc  des  Missions 
Etrangeres. 

La  Societe  des  Missions  Etrangeres  (Paris,  1919). 

4.  PROTESTANT  MISSIONS 

The  most  important  organization,  whose  history  parallels 
that  of  the  Society  the  first  hundred  years  is  the  Society  for 
Promoting  Christian  Knowledge,  which  was  founded  in  1698 
at  London.  The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel 
was  founded  in  1701,  at  London,  for  special  missionary  work 
in  the  United  States,  Cf .  SEWALL,  The  Society  for  Promoting 
Christian  Knowledge  (London,  1885)  and  An  Important 
Chapter  in  English  Church  History,  the  S.  P.  C.  K.  (London, 
1900). 
PISANI,  Les  Missions  Protestantes  a  la  Fin  du  XIXG  Siecle 

(Paris,  1903). 
BALDWIN,    Foreign    Missions    of    the    Protestant    Churches 

(Chicago,  1900). 
MONDAIN,   Un  Siecle  de  Mission  Protestante  a  Madagascar 

(Paris,  1920). 

DIETERLEN,  Pourquoi  les  Missions?  (Paris,  1920). 
Almanack  des  Missions  (Montpelier,  1921). 

B — CHURCH  HISTORIES 

Apart  from  the  general  Church  histories  of  Hergenrother, 
Kraus,  Funk  and  others,  the  work  which  gave  special  direc- 
tion to  this  volume  is : 
MOURRET,  Histoire  Generate  de  VEglise  (Paris,  1920). 


180         The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

Other  works  of  value  are : 
PECHENARD,  Un  Siecle  de  Mouvement  du  Monde  1800-1900 

(Paris,  1899). 
FORBES,  L'Eglise  Catholique  au  Dix-Neuvieme  Siecle  (1800- 

1900)    (Paris,  1903). 
LORETTO,  Petite  Histoire  de  L'Eglise  Catholique  au  XlXe 

Siecle  (Paris,  1909). 
BAUNARD,  Un  Siecle  de  L'Eglise  de  France,  1800-1900  (Paris, 

1919). 

C — CHURCH  HISTORY  OP  THE  UNITED  STATES 

BAIRD,  La  Religion  aux  Etats-Unis  D'Amerique  (Paris,  1844). 
VICOMTE  DE  MEAUX,  L'Eglise  Catholique  et  la  Liberte  aux 

Etats-Unis  (Paris,  1893). 

JANNET,  Les  Etats-Unis  Contemporains  (Paris,  1876). 
CHEVALIER,  Lettres  sur  L'Amerique  du  Nord  (Paris,  1837). 
DETOCQUEVILLE,    The    Republic    of    the    United    States    of 

America. 

SHEA,  JOHN  GILMARY,  The  Catholic  Church  in  the  United 
States. 

The  Catholic  Church  in  Colonial  Days,  Volume  1,  1521- 
1763. 

The  Life  and  Times  of  Archbishop  Carroll,  Volume  2, 
1763-1815. 

History  of  the  Catholic  Church  in  the   United  States, 

Volume  3,  1808-15  to  1843,  Volume  4,  1843-1866. 
O 'GORMAN,  A  History  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  in  the 

United  States  (New  York,  1895). 
ANDRE,  Le  Catholicisme  aux  Etats-Unis  de  L'Amerique  du 

Nord  (Paris,  1910). 
ANDRE,  Une  Page  D 'Histoire  sur  les  Associations  Cultuelles 

(Paris,  1907). 
ANDRE,  Luttes  pour  la  Liberte  de  L'Eglise  Catholique  aux 

Etats-Unis  (Paris,  1907). 
HUGHES,  THOMAS,  S.  J.,  History  of  the  Society  of  Jesus  in 

North  America,  4  vols.  (London,  1910-17). 
SHEA,  JOHN  GILMARY,  History  of  the  Catholic  Missions  Among 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith         181 

the  Indian  Tribes  of  the  United  States,  1529-1854,  New 

York,  1855. 
The  Laity's  Directory  to  the  Church  Service,  for  the  Year 

of  Our  Lord,  1822. 
The  Metropolitan  Catholic  Almanack  and  Laity's  Directory, 

1833. 

The  Catholic  Directory. 
SPALDING,  M.  J.,  Sketches  of  the  Early  Catholic  Missions  of 

Kentucky  (Louisville,  1844). 
TIMON,  Missions  in  Western  New  York  and  Church  History 

of  the  Diocese  of  Buffalo  (Buffalo,  1862). 

II.  SPECIAL  WORKS 

BURNS,  Catholic  Education  (New  York,  1917). 

BURNS,    The   Principles,    Origin   and   Establishment    of    the 

Catholic  School  System  in  the  United  Stales  (New  York, 

1912). 
BURNS,  The  Growth  and  Development  of  the  Catholic  School 

System  in  the  United  States  (New  York,  1912). 
L'CEuvre  dc  la  Propagation  de  la  Foi  (Paris,  1898). 
L'CEuvre  de  la  Propagation  de  la  Foi,  Dix  Annces  D'Apos- 

tolat  Catholique   dans  les  Missions,   1898-1907    (Lyons, 

1908). 

GUASCO,  L'CEuvre  de  la  Propagation  de  la  Foi  (Paris,  1911). 
FRERI,  The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  and  the 

Catholic  Missions  (New  York,  1922). 
DEMARTINO,  Sinossi  dclle  piu  interessanti  notizie  sull  'Opera 

dclla  Propagazione  della  Fede  (Sorrento,  1893). 
STEINER,  History  of  Education  (Washington,  1894). 

Ill 

BIOGRAPHIES 

MAURIN,  Vie  Nouvclle  de  Pauline-Marie  Jaricot  (Paris,  1892). 
MASSON,  Pauline-Marie  Jaricot  (Lyons,  1899). 
HuEN-Du  BOURG,  Vie  du  Cardinal  de  Cheverus  (Paris,  1841). 
0 'DANIEL,  The  Right  Rev.  Edward  Dominic  Fenwick,  0.  P. 
(Washington,  1921). 


182         The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

LAVEILLE,  Le  Pere  De  Smet  (Liege,  1907). 
DESGEORGE,  Mgr.  Flaget,  Eveque  de  Bardstown  et  Louisville 
(Paris,  1855). 

IV 

PERIODICALS 

Le  Correspondent,  Tome  284  (Nouv.  Serie:  248e)    (Septem- 
ber 25,  1921). 

Etudes,  Tome  16?e  May  5,  1921  (Paris). 
L'Echo  de  Paris,  February  14,  1921. 
L} 'Action  Catholique,  October  19,  1921  (Montreal). 
L'Osservatore  Romano,  27  Gennalo,  1921  (Rome). 
The  Western  Tablet,  March  27,  1852  (Chicago). 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith        183 


CONCLUSION 

*• 

At  the  conclusion  of  this  general  survey  of  the  foundation, 
organization,  administration  and  success  of  the  Society  for 
the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  during  the  first  hundred  years 
of  its  existence,  it  is  fitting  that  the  reader's  attention  should 
be  drawn  expressly  to  the  fact  that  the  great  Church  of  the 
United  States  which  has  benefited  so  much  from  the  generous 
funds  of  the  Society  has  a  history  special  to  itself  and  deserves 
a  separate  volume  of  its  own.  The  phenomenal  growth  of  the 
Catholic  Faith  in  this  country  since  the  consecration  of  John 
Carroll  as  its  first  bishop  in  1790,  has  no  parallel  in  history. 
From  every  part  of  Europe  immigrants  came,  and  with  the 
many  unforeseen  difficulties  they  met  here  in  their  new  homes, 
they  looked  to  their  native  lands  for  help  and  for  encourage- 
ment. The  Societies  of  Vienna  and  of  Munich  did  splendid 
work  in  supporting  the  people  of  Germany  and  Austria  in 
the  development  of  their  religious  life  in  this  country;  but 
over  and  above  their  assistance,  the  Society  of  Lyons  and 
Paris  came  to  the  aid  of  the  bishops,  priests  and  people, 
without  distinction,  in  the  colossal  task  which  faced  them. 
Consequently  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 
has  interwoven  its  own  story  into  the  story  of  Catholicism's 
advance  in  the  New  World,  and  every  advance  it  made  in 
science,  in  literature,  in  the  apostolate,  of  the  Gospel,  of  edu- 
cation and  of  social  welfare,  has  its  corresponding  effect  upon 
the  inner  life  of  the  Church  in  this  country. 

During  the  past  few  years,  especially  since  the  time  that 
the  Church  in  the  United  States  was  removed  from  the  juris- 
diction of  the  Sacred  Congregation  de  Propaganda  Fide 
(1908),  a  movement  has  been  supported  by  members  of  the 
American  Hierarchy  for  the  purpose  of  bringing  within  the 
control  of  the  American  Episcopate  the  disbursement  of  all 
funds  gathered  in  this  country  for  the  upkeep  of  the  Missions. 


184         The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

This  sentiment  was  expressed  in  the  Pastoral  Letter  of  the 
American  Hierarchy  in  1919,  and  has  since  been  under  con- 
sideration by  the  authorities  at  Rome. 

Eecently  (Dec.  16,  1921),  Cardinal  Van  Rossum,  Prefect 
of  the  Sacred  Congregation  of  Propaganda  wrote  to  Arch- 
bishop Moeller,  former  Chairman  of  the  Department  of  Mis- 
sions, Home  and  Foreign,  of  the  National  Catholic  Welfare 
Council,  and  now  one  of  the  Board  of  Governors  of  the  Amer- 
ican Board  of  Catholic  Missions,  to  the  effect  that  his  Holiness, 
Benedict  XV,  in  an  audience  granted  December  12,  had  rati- 
fied and  confirmed  the  American  plan  for  promoting  mission- 
ary activity.  The  letter  is  as  follows : 

Roma,  16  Dicembre,  1921. 
Illme.  ac  Revme.  Domine. 

Cum  amplitude  tua  Episcoporum  Comitatus  pro  Missionibus  cath- 
olicis  adiuvandis  vota  ac  desideria  in  congressu  hierarchiae  Americae 
Septentrionalis  superiore  septembri  habito  manifestata  SSmo.  Dno. 
Nostro  retulerit  Consociationis  illius  ad  probationer!  necnon  spirituales 
favores  enixe  expostulans,  benigne  voluit  Summus  idem  Pontifex  ut  res, 
duabus  iam  vicibus  ab  hac  S.  C.  Christiano  Nomini  Propagando  per- 
pensa,  tertio  tandem  ab  eadem  examinaretur. 

Porro  Emi  Patres  in  consessu  diei  5  Decembris,  disaptato  denuo 
integro  negotio,  in  hoc  demum  convenerunt  ut  S.  C.  paratam  se  ac 
propensam  declararet  ad  annuendum  desideriis  saepius  ab  Episcopis 
Americae  Septentrionalis  expressis. 

Simul  tamen  voluerunt  ut  antequam  gratia  coneedatur  et  super  hac 
re  rescriptum  detur  S.  Congregation!  manifestaretur  quota  pars  totius 
collectae  pro  Missionibus  exteris  reservetur  arbitrio  S.  Sedis  distribuenda. 

Quam  Emorum,  Patrum  sententiam  SSmus.,  Dnus.,  Noster  Benedictus 
Div.  Prov.  P.  P.  XV,  in  audientia  diei  12  Decembris  Sacrae  huius  Con- 
gregationis  Secretario  concessa  ratam  habuit  et  confirmavit. 

Quae  omnia  libenter  Tecum  eiusdem  Summi  Pontificis  iussu,  com- 
nmnico  ut  Episcopis  omnibus  Comitatu  adherentibus  referas,  earn  spem 
nutriens  fore  ut  brevi,  clarum  responsam  ab  A.  T.  excipiam  quo 
aequivocatione  omni  sublata,  negotium  hoc,  magni  momenti  rite  citoque 
expediatur. 

Interim  vero  precor  Deum  ut  Amplitudini  Tuae  donis  cumulatis- 
simus  faveat. 

Addmus  Servus 

G.  M.  Van  Rossum 
Praef. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith        185 

More  recent  decisions  of  the  Congregation  of  Rites  pro- 
vide for  the  insertion  of  an  invocation  in  the  Litany  of  the 
Saints  and  for  a  Votive  Mass  of  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith. 
These  decisions  are  as  follows : 

Bescripta  Ad  Augendam  Celebritatem  Sollemnium   Tcrtio  Exeunte 

Saeculo  Ab  Instituta  Sacra  Congregations  De  Propaganda 

Fidei  Indictorum. 

I 

De  Additione  Opportunae  Invocations  Litaniis  Sanctorum 

Beatissimo   Padre, 

La  Commissione  per  i  festeggiamenti  del  centenario  della  S.  Con- 
gregazione.  di  Propaganda,  presieduta  sall'Emo  Cardinale  Prefetto  della 
medesima,  supplica  instantemente  la  Santita  Vostra  perche  voglia 
benignamente  degnarsi  di  approvare  la  seguente  invocazione  e  di  dare 
ordine  che  venga  inserita  nelle  Litanie  dei  Santi: 

Ut  omnes  errantcs  ad  unitatem  Ecclcsiae  revocare,  et  infideles  uni- 
versos  ad  Evangelii  lumen  perducere  digneris:  Te  rogamus,  audi  nos. 

ROMANA 

Sanctissimus  Domimis  Noster  Pius  Papa  XI,  referente  infrascripto 
Cardinal!  Sacrae  Rituum  Congregationi  Praefecto,  suprascriptam  in- 
vocationem  pro  privata  et  publica  recitatione,  necnon  pro  additione 
Litaniis  Sanctorum  post  invocationem  Ut  cuncto  populo  christiano,  etc., 
approbare  et  ad  universam  Ecclesiam  extendere  dignatus  est.  Contrariis 
non  obstantibus  quibuscumque.  Die  22  martii,  1922. 

.  A.  Card.  Vico,  Ep.  Portuen,.  et  S.  Rufinae, 

S.  E.  C.  Praefectus. 
L.  S.  Alexander  Verde,  Secrctarius. 

II. 

De  Celebratione  Missae  Votivae  Pro  Fidei  Propagations  Semel  in 
Anno  in  Qualibet  Dioccesi. 

Beatissimo  Padre, 

La  Commissione  per  i  festeggiamenti  del  terzo  centenario  della  S. 
Congregazione  di  Propaganda,  presieduta  dall'Emo  Cardinale  Prefetto 
della  medesima,  suppliea  umilmente  la  Santita  Vostra  perche  voglia 
benignamente  disporre  che  in  ogni  diocesi  sia  celebrata  una  volta  1'anno, 
in  giorno  da  stabilirsi  dai  rispettivi  Ordinari,  la  Messa  votiva  de  Fidei 
Propagation,  nell'intento  di  eccitare  cosi  maggiormente  il  clero  a  favore 
delle  sacre  mission!  ed  ottenere  dal  Signore  gli  aiuti  necessari  per  il 
maggior  sviluppo  delle  medesime. 


186         The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

ROMANA 

Sanctiisimus  Dominus  Noster  Pius  Papa  XI,  his  precibus  ab  infra- 

scripto   Cardinali   Saerae    Eituum   Congregationi    Praefecto    relatis,   be- 

nigne   annuit   pro   gratia  iuxta  petita,   ita  tamen,  ut   praedicta  Missa 

votiva  de  Propagaiione  Fidei  cum  Gloria  et  Credo  celebrari  possit  semel 

in  anno  diebus  ab  Ordinario  cuiusque  loci  designandis,  exceptis  tamen 

Festis  duplicibus  I  et  II  classis,  Dominicis  maioribus,  necnon   Octavis 

I  et  II  ordinis,  Feriis  et  Vigiliis  quae  sint  ex  privilegiatis :    servatis 

Kubricis.    Contrariis  non  obstantibus  quibuscumque.    Die  22  martii,  1922. 

A.  Card.  Vico,   Ep.  Pottuen.  et  S.  Rufinae, 

S.  E.  C.  Praefectus. 

Alexander  Verde,  Secretarius 
L.  S. 

( Acta  Apostolicae  Sedis  Vol.  XIV.  No.  7, 
3  April,  1922,  pp.  200-201). 

No  tribute  need  be  paid  to  those  who  have  done  noble 
service  in  Paris  and  in  Lyons,  in  directing  the  work  of  cooper- 
ating with  the  Catholic  hierarchy  of  the  United  States  in  their 
devotion  to  the  Church  of  Christ.  From  the  very  origin  of 
the  Society,  its  leaders  have  desired  to  remain  unknown,  and, 
in  fact,  unseen.  Theirs  has  been  the  greater  plan  of  working 
in  the  quiet  for  the  spread  of  the  Faith,  and  the  rounding-out 
of  the  first  hundred  years  of  the  activities  of  the  Society  they 
have  strengthened  and  solidified  with  their  unstinted  effort 
is  the  best  tribute  that  might  be  offered  in  this  centenary  year. 


APPENDIX 

TOTAL  RECEIPTS  OF  THE  SOCIETY  FOR  THE 
PROPAGATION  OF  THE  FAITH 


frs. 

frs. 

frs. 

1822 

22,915 

1866 

5,145,558 

1910 

7,088,690 

1823 

49,487 

1867 

5,149,918 

1911 

7,382,319 

1824 

82,259 

1868 

5,308,867 

1912 

8,178,902 

1825 

122,598 

1869 

5,217,092 

1913 

8,114,983 

1826 

104,888 

1870 

4,198,867 

1914 

5,592,642 

1827 

254,993 

1871 

5,020,897 

1915 

6,275,987 

1828 

267,269 

1872 

5,602,645 

1916 

6,334,565 

1829 

300,659 

1873 

5,524,175 

1917 

6,778,816 

1830 

293,082 

1874 

5,485,515 

1918 

8,005,704 

1831 

308,936 

1875 

5,797,463 

1919 

17,929,292 

1832 

309,947 

1876 

5,930,950 

1920 

1833 

354,345 

1877 

6,142,926 

1921 

1834 

404,727 

1878 

6,591,741 

1835 

541,675 

1879 

6,031,648 

1836 

729,867 

1880 

6,020,039 

1837 

927,304 

1881 

6,906,058 

1838 

1,343,640 

1882 

6,414,438 

1839 

1,895,682 

1883 

6,370,516 

1840 

2,473,578 

1884 

6,832,518 

1841 

2,752,214 

'1885 

6,629,258 

1842 

3,233,486 

1886 

6,649,952 

1843 

3,562,088 

1887 

6,462,276 

1844 

3,540,903 

1888 

6,362,142 

1845 

3,707,561 

1889 

6,541,918 

1846 

3,575,775 

1890 

7,072,811 

1847 

3,513,687 

1891 

6,694,457 

1848 

2,845,691 

1892 

6,621,674 

1849 

3,060,516 

1893 

6,599,622 

1850 

3,082,729 

1894 

6,820,164 

1851 

3,323,893 

1895 

6,587,049 

1852 

4,790,468 

1896 

6,332,686 

1853 

3,935,149 

1897 

6,772,879 

1854 

3,722,766 

1898 

6,700,921 

1855 

3,778,180 

1899 

6,820,273 

1856 

3,905,067 

1900 

6,848,700 

1857 

4,191,716 

1901 

6,728,666 

1858 

6,684,567 

1902 

6,598,044 

1859 

5,260,595 

1903* 

6,375,241 

1860 

4,547,399 

1904 

6,907,694 

1861 

4,700,227 

1905 

6,626,734 

1862 

4,721,194 

1906 

6,522,922 

1863 

4,788,496 

1907 

6,695,553 

1864 

5,090,041 

1908 

6,472,437 

1865 

5,139,895 

1909 

6,786,088 

(•Totals 

from  1903  to  1913 

are  for  disbursements  and 

differ  from 

receipts  of  the  year  because  of 

reserve  fund  from  previous 

year.) 

187 


188         The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 


MONEY  RECEIVED  BY  THE  AMERICAN  DIOCESES 

FROM 
THE  SOCIETY  FOR  THE  PROPAGATION  OF  THE  FAITH 


Alaska 

Albany 

Alexandria 

Alton 

Baker    City 

Baltimore 

Boise 

Boston 

Brooklyn 

Buffalo 

Burlington 

Charleston 

Cheyenne 

Chicago 

Cincinnati 

Cleveland 

Columbus 

Concordia 

Corpus  Christi 

Covington 

Crookston 

Dallas 

Denver 

Detroit 

Dubuque 

Duluth 

El  Paso 

Erie 

Fargo 

Fort  Wayne 

Galveston 

Great  Falls 

Green  Bay 

Hartford 

Helena 

Indianapolis 

Kansas  City 

La   Crosse 

Lead 

Leavenworth 

Lincoln 

Little  Rock 

Los  Angeles 

Louisville 

Marquette 

Milwaukee 

Mobile 

Nashville 

Natchez 


$88,726    From  1893  to 

1912 

43,844     < 

1847  " 

1866 

175,069     < 

1854  <f 

1918 

41,600     < 

1857  " 

1869 

24,722     ' 

1905'" 

1922 

56,757 

1823  '• 

1865 

38,454     < 

1870  " 

1922 

52,839     < 

1829  " 

1864 

4,800     < 

1856  " 

1867 

110,214     « 

1847  " 

1866 

40,200     < 

1853  " 

1884 

220,360      < 

1828  " 

1922 

9,514      < 

1897  " 

1918 

99,655     < 

1844  " 

1866 

118,569      < 

1823  " 

1869 

62,644     * 

1847  " 

1876 

3,200      < 

1868  " 

1869 

37,160 

1887  " 

1901 

75,866 

1874  '•' 

1922 

37,000      ' 

1854  " 

1887 

16,604     ' 

1911  " 

1922 

4,050      ' 

1891  " 

1902 

47,477      ' 

1868  " 

1918 

113,453      < 

1828  " 

1887 

119,398     ' 

1838  " 

1866 

16,814     < 

1890  " 

1918 

200     ' 

1912  " 

1920 

30,600 

1854  " 

1869 

15,949     ' 

1890  " 

1920 

34,400      < 

1858  «' 

1869 

249,370      <   1846  " 

1901 

15,793      "   1909  " 

1922 

25,650      "   1868  " 

1888 

51,028     "  1845  " 

1866 

19,678     ' 

1882  " 

1918 

237,978      « 

1834  " 

1869 

2,000      ' 

1880  " 

1881 

15,720      < 

1868  ^ 

1887 

26,396      ' 

1904  f' 

1922 

118,490      ' 

1856  " 

1883 

1,005     ' 

1889  " 

1918 

105,120      ' 

1844  " 

1892 

99,800      ' 

1849  " 

1877 

159,816     « 

1822  '« 

1867 

61,380      < 

1854  " 

1885 

56,432     ' 

1844  " 

1866 

109,918      ' 

1828  " 

1918 

100,767      < 

1839  " 

1887 

197,701      (   1839  " 

1922 

The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith        189 


Newark 

23,600 

From  1854  to 

1866 

New  Orleans 

124,160 

"     1822  " 

1872 

New  York 

112,160 

"     1827  " 

1866 

North  Carolina 

70,559 

"     1868  " 

1918 

Oklahoma 

100,073 

"     1876  " 

1918 

Omaha 

60,360 

11     1859  " 

1883 

Oregon  City 

171,294 

"     1844  " 

1891 

Peoria 

1,000 

11     1877 

Philadelphia 

51,161 

"     1829  " 

1859 

Pittsburgh 

85,600 

"      1843  " 

1868 

Portland 

18,190 

"     1856  " 

1867 

Richmond 

128,125 

"     1841  " 

1922 

Rochester 

4,000 

11     1868  " 

1869 

Sacramento 

36,200 

"     1860  " 

1876 

St.  Augustine 

118,347 

"     1836  " 

1908 

St.  Cloud 

13,140 

"     1889  " 

1890 

St.  Joseph 

6,600 

"     1868  " 

1872 

St.  Louis 

196,155 

"     1827  " 

1872 

St.  Paul 

95,785 

"     1850  " 

1872 

Salt  Lake 

16,400 

li     1872  " 

1887 

San  Antonio 

34,209 

"     1874  " 

1918 

San  Francisco 

45,600 

11     1853  " 

1884 

Santa  Fe 

206,114 

"      1851  " 

1918 

Savannah 

146,465 

"     1850  " 

1922 

Seattle 

120,842 

tt     1847  " 

1892 

Sioux   Falls 

13,900 

"     1889  " 

1894 

Tucson 

136,148 

11     1869  " 

1922 

Wheeling 

58,205 

"      1850  " 

1879 

Wichita 

7,640 

«'     1887  ' 

1895 

Wilmington 

16,920 

*'     1868  ' 

1892 

Porto  Rico 

61,702 

"      1906  ' 

1921 

Philippine  Islands 

331,024 

"      1905  « 

1921 

Hawaii 

162,058 

'«      1899  ' 

1921 

Guam 

2,400 

.... 

1921 

Miscellaneous 

849,702 

Total  $7,020,974  "     1822  "    1922 

*Of  this  amount  $516,592  was  given  to  some  Religious  Orders  in 
addition  to  what  they  may  have  received  from  the  Ordinary  in  whose 
diocese  they  were  established. 

The  following  sums  were  given  to  Religious  Societies  for  use  in 
the  United  States: 

Jesuits  $263,089 

Lazarists  158,800 

Oblates  45,657 

Congregation   of  the   Holy 

Cross  18,657 

Redemptorists  11,088 

Fathers  of  Mercy  7,980 

Benedictines  6,000 

Dominicans  5,320 


Total 


$516,592 


190         The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 


II.  PERSONNEL  OF  THE  MISSIONS  ASSISTED  BY  THE 
PEOPAGATION  OF  THE  FAITH  IN  1921 


Augustinians 

1256 

Rome. 

Vic.:   Cookstown,  Hunan,  N. 

(O.  S.  A.) 

Pref  .  :   Amazon. 

Augustinians      of      the 

1851 

Rome. 

Dio.:  Athens. 

Assumption    (A.    A.) 

Vic.  :  Constantinople. 

Augustinian      Recollets 

1438 

Spain. 

Vic.:  Casanare. 

(A.  E.) 

Pref.:  Palawan. 

Benedictines  (O.  S.  B.) 

529 

Mt.    Cassin. 

Vic.  :        Katanga,       Kimberley 

(Australia),  Wonsan. 

Pref.:      Lindi,    Transvaal,    No. 

Zululand. 

Canons     of     the     Holy 

1211 

Holland. 

Mis.:  Uelle,  N. 

Cross     (Croisiers) 

(0.  S.  C.) 

Carmelites     (Discalced) 

1528 

Rome. 

Dio.:  Quilon,  Verapoly. 

(0.  C.  D.) 

Pref.:  Bagdad. 

Children     of     the     Im- 

1849 

Spain. 

Vic.:  Fernando  Poo. 

maculate     Heart     of 

Pref.  :     Choco. 

Mary  (C.  I.  H.  M.) 

Chinese  Mission  Society 

1916 

Omaha, 

Mis.:  Hupeh,  E. 

Nebr. 

Cistercians    (Trappists) 

1098 

Rome. 

Dio.  :  Hakodate. 

(0.  C.  R.) 

Mis.:  Chili,  N. 

Congregation      of      the 

1821 

Rome. 

Dio.:  Dacca. 

Holy  Cross  (C.  S.  C.) 

Congregation      of     the 

1848 

Paris. 

Dio.:  Port  Louis. 

Holy  Ghost 

Vic.:  Bagamoyo;     Diego     Sua- 

(C.  S.  Sp.) 

rez;    Gaboon;   Guinea   (Fr.)  ; 

Kilima      Ndjaro;       Loango; 

Senegambia  ;     Sierra    Leone  ; 

Ubanghi  ;          Ubanghi-chari  ; 

Zanzibar  No. 

Pref.:  Cameroon;  Congo,  Lower; 

Cubango  ;       Katanga,      No.  ; 

Mayotta   (Nossi  Be)  ;   Niger, 

Lower;     St.    Peter    and    Mi- 

quelon  ;    Teff  6. 

Congregation    of    Jesus 

1643 

Rome. 

Vic.:  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence. 

and   Mary    (Eudists) 

(C.   J.    M.) 

Congregation      of     the 
Missions     (Lazarists) 

1632 

Paris. 

Dio.  :     Ispahan. 
Vic.  :       Abyssinia  ;       Chekiang, 

(C.  M.) 

East;  Chekiang,  West;  Chili, 

Central;    Chili,    East;    Chili, 

Maritime  ;  Chili,  North  ;  Chili, 

Southwest  ;       Ft.      Dauphin  ; 

Kanchow;  Ki-han-fou;  Kiou- 

kiang;  San  Pedro  de  Sulam; 

You-kiang. 

Pref.  :     Arauca. 

Congregation      of      the 
Passion   (Passionists) 

1737 

Rome. 

Dio.  :     Nicopolis. 
Mis.:     Hunan,  N. 

(C.  P.) 

:j 

The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith        191 


Congregation      of     the  |  1817  (Braine, 

Vic.  :       Hawaii  ;       Marquesas  ; 

Sacred     Hearts       of|                Belgium. 

Tahiti. 

Jesus  and  Mary  (Pic- 

Pref.:   New  Guinea,  West. 

pusians)   (S.  H.  Pic.) 

Company     of     Mary 

1705  |St.  Laurent 

Vic.:     Llanos  de  San  Martin; 

(M.  C.) 

sur  Sevres, 

Shire. 

France. 

Dominicans   (O.  P.) 

1215  |  Borne. 

Vic.:  Amoy;  Canelos  e  Macas; 

Curacao  ;      Fokien  ;      Tonkin, 

Central;   Tonkin,  East;   Ton- 

kin, North;  UellS,  East;  Uru- 

bamba. 

Pref.  :       Formosa  ;       Langson  ; 

Shikoku. 

Foreign        Missions 

1910 

Maryknoll, 

Mis.:   Canton. 

i(  American)  (A.F.M.) 

New  York, 

Foreign   Missions   (Bel- 

1865 

Scheut-lez- 

Vic.:     Free     State     (Leopold- 

gian)    (B.  F.  M.) 

Bruxelles, 

ville)  ;  Kansu,  North;  Kassai; 

Belgium. 

Mongolia,    Central  ;    Mongolia, 

East;    Mongolia,   South;    New 

Antwerp. 

Pref.:     Hi;  Kansu,  South. 

Foreign    Missions    (En- 

1866 

Mill  Hill, 

Dio.  :     Madras. 

gland)   (E.  F.  M.) 

England. 

Vic.  :     Upper  Nile. 

Pref.:     Borneo,  North;   Kafiri- 

stan. 

Foreign    Missions    (Mi- 

1850 

Milan, 

Dio.:     Hyderabad;  Krishnagar. 

lan)    (M.  F.  M.) 

Italy. 

Vic.:       Burma,    East;     Honan, 

East;  Honan,  North;  Honan, 

South  ;    Hongkong. 

Foreign      Missions      of 

1663 

Paris. 

Dio.  :     Coimbatore  ;    Hakodate  ; 

Paris  (P.  F.  M.) 

Kumbakonam;  Malacca;  My- 

sore ;        Nagasaki  ;        Osaka  ; 

Pondicherry;    Tokyo. 

Vic.:      Burma,   North;    Burma, 

South;     Cambodia;     Canton; 

Cochin  China,    East;    Cochin 

China,  North;   Cochin  China, 

West;  Hainan;  Kien-tchang; 

Kui-chow  ;    Kwangsi  ;    Laos  ; 

Manchuria,    North  ;    Manchu- 

ria,    South;      eeoul;    Siam; 

Si-chuan,      East  ;      Si-chuan, 

South;  Si-chuan,  West;  Swa- 

tow;    Taikou;    Thibet;    Ton- 

•   . 

kin,        Maritime  ;        Tonkin, 

v-.--  ,  .  .  . 

South;   Tonkin,  Upper;   Ton- 

f 

kin,  West;  Yun-nan. 

Foreign      Missions      of 

Parma, 

Vic.:     Honan,  West. 

Parma    (F.   M.  P.) 

Italy. 

Foreign      Missions      of 

1874 

Borne. 

Vic.:    Shensi,   South. 

(Borne  (B.  F.  M.) 

Mis.:     Lower  California. 

Foreign      Missions      of 

1900 

Turin, 

Vic.:  Kenia. 

Turin         (Consolata) 

Italy. 

Pref.:   Kaffa. 

(T.  F.  M.) 

192         The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 


Franciscan   Minors 
(O.  F.  M.) 


Franciscan  Capuchins 
(O.  M.  Cap.) 


Missionaries    of    Africa 
(White  Fathers) 


Missionaries       of  La 
Salette   (M.  S.) 

Missionaries       of  St. 

Francis       de  Sales 
(Annecy) 
(M.   S.  F.  S.) 

Missionaries       of  the 

Sacred      Heart  (Is- 
soudun)    (M.  S.  H.) 


Oblates    of    Mary    Im- 
maculate   (O.   M.   I.) 


1209   Rome. 


1858 


1868 


1852 
1833 


1854 


1826 


Rome. 


Oblates   of   St.   Francis    1871 

de     Sales      (Troyes)  | 

(O.  S.  F.  S.) 
Premonstratensians          j  1119 

(Norbertins) 

(O.    Praem) 


Algiers, 
Africa. 

Susa,  Italy. 

|  Annecy, 
France. 

Rome. 
Rome. 

Rome. 
Rome. 


Vic.:  Alep;  Beni;  Chaco; 
Egypt;  Hunan,  South;  Hu- 
peh, East ;  Hupeh,  Northwest ; 
Hupeh,  South;  Lybia;  Mo- 
rocco ;  Shansi,  North ;  Shansi, 
South ;  Shantung,  East ; 
Shantung,  North ;  Shensi, 
Central;  Shensi,  North; 
Zamora. 

Pref . :  Rhodes ;  Sapporo ; 
Ucayali. 

Mis. :  Assiout ;  Constantinople ; 
Putumayo. 

Dio. :  Agra,  Ajmere;  Allaha- 
bad; Candia;  Lahore;  Port 
Victoria ;  Simla. 

Vic.:  Arabia;  Bluefields;  Bor- 
neo, South;  Caroline  and 
Marianne  Islands ;  Dar-es- 
Salaam ;  Eritrea ;  Gallas ; 
Goa jira ;  Guam ;  Sofia. 

Pref.:  Araucania;  Belgian  Ou- 
banghi ;  Caqueta ;  Djibouti ; 
Misox  and  Calanca;  Rhetia; 
Sumatra;  Upper  Solimoes. 

Mis.:  Mardin;  Syria;  Trebi- 
zonde. 

Vic.:  Bamoko;  Bangueolo; 
Congo,  Upper;  Kivu;  Ny- 
assa;  Ougadougou;  Tan- 
ganyika ;  Uganda ;  Unyan- 
yembe;  Victoria  Nyanza! 

Pref.:   Ghardaia. 

Vic.:  Antsirabe. 

Dio. :   Nagpur ;   Vizagapatam. 


Dio. :    Port   Victoria. 

Vic.:  Gilbert  and  Ellis  Is; 
Marshall  Is;  New  Britain; 
New  Guinea  (British)  ;  New 
Guinea  (Dutch). 

Dio. :   Colombo ;  Jaffna. 

Vic. :  Athabaska ;  Basutoland ; 
Keewatin;  Kimberley  (Afri- 
ca); Mackenzie;  Natal; 
Transvaal;  Yukon. 

Pref.,  Cimbebasia  Lower. 

Vic. :   Orange  River. 

Pref.:  Grand  Namaqualand. 

Pref.:    Uelle    West. 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith        193 


Priests    of    the    Sacred 
Heart    (St.    Quentin) 
(S.  H.  Q.) 
Redemptorists 
(C.  SS.  E.) 

1877 
1732 

Rome. 
Rome. 

Religious      Missionaries 
of        Marianhill 
(R.  M.  M.) 
Secular    Priests    

1913 

S.    Africa. 

Society  of  the  African 
Missions      of     Lyons 
(L.  Af.  M.) 

1856 

Lyons. 

Society    of    the    Divine 
Saviour   (S.  D.  S.) 
Society    of    the    Divine 
Word  (S.  V.  D.) 

1881 
1875 

Rome. 

Steyl, 
Holland. 

Society       of       Jesus 
(Jesuits)    (S.  J.) 

1540 

Rome. 

1 

Society  of   Mary    (Ma- 
rists)    (S.  M.) 

1836 

Rome. 

Society   of   St.   Francis 
de  Sales  (Salesians) 
(S.  S.  F.  S.) 

1855 

Turin, 
Italy. 

Sons     of     the     Sacred 
Heart    of    Jesus    of 
Verona   (V.  A.  M.) 
Sylvestrin    Benedictines 
(S.  0.  S.  B.) 
Syro  Malabar  Rite  .... 

1867 
1231 

Verona, 
Italy. 

Rome. 

Trinitarians 
(O.  SS.  T.) 

1198 

Rome. 

Vic.:  .Stanley  Falls. 

Pref.:    Adamaua;    Celebes    Is. 

Dio. :  Perth;   Roseau. 
Vic. :    Dutch  Guiana. 
Pref.:  Matadi. 
Mis:    Mariannhill    (Natal). 


Vic.:  Antofagasta;  Cape,  East; 
Cape,  West;  Denmark;  Nor- 
way ;  Sweden ;  Tarapaca. 

Pref.:  Cape,  Central;  French 
Guiana. 

Vic. :  Benin ;  Dahomey ;  Delta 
of  Nile;  Gold  Coast;  Ivory 
Coast;  Niger,  West;  Togo. 

Pref.:  Koroko;  Liberia;  Niger, 
East. 

Pref.:  Assam. 

Vic. :    Shantung,    South. 

Pref. :  New  Guinea,  East ; 
Nygata ;  Sunda  Islands. 

Dio. :  Bombay ;  Calcutta ; 
Galle;  Mangalore;  Patna; 
Poona ;  Trichinopoly ;  Trin- 
comali. 

Vic.:  Alaska;  Batavia;  British 
Guiana ;  British  Honduras ; 
I  Chili,  Southeast;  Fianarant- 
soa ;  Jamaica ;  Nankin 
(Kiangnan) ;  Napo;  Tanana- 
rive. 

Pref.:  Kwango;  Zambezi. 

Dio :    Wellington 

Vic.:  Central  Oceanica;  Fiji; 
Navigators  Islands  (Samoa)  ; 
New  Caledonia;  New  He- 
brides ;  Solomon  Islands, 
South. 

Pref.:  Solomon  Islands,  North. 

Vic.:  Magellan;  Mendez  et 
Gualaquiza ;  Patagonia, 
North ;  Shiu-chow. 

Pref.:  Rio  Negro. 

Vic.:  Bhar-el-Gazal ;  Khartoum. 


Dio.:   Kandy. 

Vic.:  Changanacherry ;  Ernaku- 

lam;   Kottayam;   Trichur. 
Pref. :   Benadir. 


194         The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 


Exercise  1918 


REPARTITION 


Somme  disponible  de 
Somme  disponible  de- 

Difference  ed- 


M 


The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith        195 


CQ 


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CJ     __ 

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1 


VITA 

Edward  J.  Hickey  was  born  at  Detroit,  Mich.,  December 
13,  1893.  He  attended  the  Cathedral  School  of  that  city,'  and 
then  entered  the  University  of  Detroit,  where  he  graduated  in 
1914  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts.  He  then  entered  the 
Graduate  School  of  Business  Administration  of  Harvard  Uni- 
versity, and  completed  this  course  with  the  degree  Master  in 
Business  Administration,  in  1916.  Later,  he  submitted  a  thesis 
to  the  University  of  Detroit,  for  which  he  received  the  degree 
A.  M.  His  theological  course  was  made  at  St.  Paul  Seminary, 
St.  Paul,  Minn.,  and  he  was  ordained  to  the  priesthood  in  De- 
troit by  Right  Rev.  Michael  James  Gallagher,  D.  D.,  on  June 
15,  1919.  He  then  entered  the  School  of  Philosophy  of  the 
Catliolic  University  of  America,  as  a  graduate  student.  In 
1920,  he  received  the  degrees  S.  T.  B.  and  J.  C.  B.  from  the 
University.  In  company  with  his  major  professor  Dr. 
Guilday,  he  went  to  Europe,  and  during  the  academic  year 
1920-1921,  he  attended  the  Institut  Catholique  de  Paris, 
where  he  followed  a  course  in  the  French  Revolution  under 
Professor  Gautherot ;  the  Sorbonne,  where  he  studied  the  His- 
tory of  Modern  Europe,  and  the  History  of  Contemporary 
Europe,  under  Prof.  Seignobos;  and  the  Ecole  des  Chartes, 
where  he  studied  Latin  Paleography  under  Prof.  Berger.  Dur- 
ing the  Scholastic  year  1921-1922  he  was  a  member  of  the 
American  Church  History  Seminar,  under  Rev.  Dr.  Peter 
Guilday.  He  followed  the  course  in  American  Political  His- 
tory under  Professor  Charles  H.  McCarthy,  Ph.  D.  To  all  his 
professors,  the  writer  expresses  his  sincere  gratitude  and 
appreciation. 


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